•     ' 


How  to  Visit  the  English  Cathedrals 


BOOKS  BY  MISS  SINGLETON 

TURRETS,  TOWERS,  AND  TEMPLES.     Great  Buildings  of 

the  World  Described  by  Great  Writers. 
GREAT  PICTURES.    Described  by  Great  Writers. 
WONDERS  OF  NATURE.    Described  by  Great  Writers. 
ROMANTIC  CASTLES  AND  PALACES.     Described  by  Great 

Writers. 

FAMOUS  PAINTINGS.    Described  by  Great  Writers. 
HISTORIC  BUILDINGS.    Described  by  Great  Writers. 
FAMOUS  WOMEN.    Described  by  Great  Writers. 
GREAT  PORTRAITS.    Described  by  Great  Writers. 
HISTORIC  BUILDINGS  OF  AMERICA.    Described  by  Great 

Writers. 
HISTORIC  LANDMARKS  OF  AMERICA.    Described  by  Great 

Writers. 
GREAT    RIVERS    OF   THE   WORLD.      Described    by    Great 

Writers. 

FAMOUS  CATHEDRALS.    Described  by  Great  Writers. 
FAMOUS  SCULPTURE.    Described  by  Great  Writers. 
MODERN  PAINTINGS.    Described  by  Great  Writers. 
WONDERS  OF  THE  WORLD.    Described  by  Great  Writers. 
PARIS.    Described  by  Great  Writers. 
LONDON.     Described  by  Great  Writers. 
RUSSIA.    Described  by  Great  Writers. 
JAPAN.     Described  by  Great  Writers. 
VENICE.    Described  by  Great  Writers. 
HOLLAND.     Described  by  Great  Writers. 
ROME.    Described  by  Great  Writers. 
GERMANY.     Described  by  Great  Writers. 
SWITZERLAND.    Described  by  Great  Writers. 
TURKEY  AND  THE  BALKAN  STATES.    Described  by  Great 

Writers. 

FLORENCE.    Described  by  Great  Writers. 
EGYPT.    Described  by  Great  Writers. 
CHINA.    Described  by  Great  Writers. 
LOVE  IN  LITERATURE  AND  ART. 
THE  GOLDEN  ROD  FAIRY  BOOK. 
THE  WILD  FLOWER  FAIRY  BOOK. 
A  GUIDE  TO  THE  OPERA. 
A  GUIDE  TO  MODERN  OPERA. 
DUTCH   NEW   YORK.     Manners   and   Customs   of   New 

Amsterdam  in  the  Seventeenth  Century. 
How  TO  VISIT  THE  GREAT  PICTURE  GALLERIES. 
How  TO  VISIT  THE  ENGLISH  CATHEDRALS. 


SALISBURY;   CLOISTERS 


How  to  Visit 
The  English  Cathedrals 

By 

Esther  Singleton 

Member  of  the  Royal  Society  of  Arts 
With  Numerous  Illustrations 


New  York 

Dodd,  Mead  and  Company 
1912 


COPYRIGHT,  1912,  BY 

DODD,  MEAD  AND  COMPANY 

Published  April,  1912 


PREFACE 

THIS  little  book  is  offered  to  the  tourist  in  the 
most  modest  spirit  and  with  the  hope  that  in  this 
convenient  form  some  gleanings  from  the  works 
of  specialists  may  afford  help  and  pleasure  to  those 
who  run  quickly  through  the  Cathedral  towns  of 
England.  The  subject  has  been  done  so  often  and 
so  well  that  an  additional  book  would  demand  an 
apology  if  it  pretended  to  compete  with  the  labours 
.of  those  who  have  spent  long  years  in  the  study  of 
special  cathedrals,  or  with  the  charming  recollec- 
tions of  travel  that  others  have  given  the  world 
from  time  to  time. 

My  plan  has  been  merely  to  present  in  a  single 
volume  concise  descriptions  of  the  great  ecclesiasti- 
cal buildings  of  England,  together  with  the  story 
of  their  construction  and  historical  associations 
supplemented  with  criticisms  from  the  best  authori- 
ties of  their  most  striking  architectural  and  artistic 
features.  These  authorities  are  duly  acknowledged 
by  initials.— E.  S. 

NEW  YORK,  March,  1912. 


266204 


STYLES  OF  ENGLISH  ARCHITECTURE 

THE  cathedral  usually  grew  architecturally  from 
age  to  age,  or  rose  like  a  phoenix  from  the  ashes 
of  an  earlier  building. 

"Not  only  is  there  built  into  a  mediaeval  cathedral  the 
accumulated  thought  of  all  the  men  who  had  occupied 
themselves  with  building  during  the  preceding  centuries, 
but  you  have  the  dream  and  aspiration  of  the  bishop,  ab- 
bot, or  clergy  for  whom  it  was  designed;  the  master 
mason's  skilled  construction;  the  work  of  the  carver,  the 
painter,  the  glazier,  the  host  of  men  who,  each  in  his 
own  craft,  knew  all  that  had  been  done  before  them,  and 
had  spent  their  lives  in  struggling  to  surpass  the  works  of 
their  forefathers.  It  is  more  than  this:  there  is  not  one 
shaft,  one  moulding,  one  carving,  not  one  chisel-mark  in 
such  a  building,  that  was  not  designed  specially  for  the 
place  where  it  is  found,  and  which  was  not  the  best  that 
the  experience  of  the  age  could  invent  for  the  purpose  to 
which  it  is  applied;  nothing  was  borrowed;  and  nothing 
that  was  designed  for  one  purpose  was  used  for  another. 
A  thought  or  a  motive  peeps  out  through  every  joint;  you 
may  wander  in  such  a  building  for  weeks  or  for  months 
together,  and  never  know  it  all." — (Fergusson.) 

Most  English  cathedrals  are  built  in  the  form  of 
a  Latin  cross,  the  arms  of  which  are  called  the 
transepts.  Over  their  point  of  intersection  the 
central  tower  is  usually  erected.  The  part  of  the 
church  running  westward  from  this  point  to  the 
entrance  door  is  the  nave  and  that  running  eastward 
to  the  high  altar  is  the  choir. 

Behind,  or  east  of  the  choir,  is  situated  the  Lady- 
Chapel,  or  Chapel  of  the  Virgin,  which  sometimes 


viii  STYLES  OF 

contained  additional  altars  to  other  saints.  Along 
the  aisles  we  frequently  find  side  chapels,  contain- 
ing tombs  and  chantries  of  dignitaries,  local  saints 
and  benefactors. 

The  nave  usually  consists  of  the  main  arcade; 
the  triforium  (which  opens  into  a  passage  or  gal- 
lery) ;  and  the  clerestory. 

The  triforium  is  the  arcaded  story  between  the 
lower  range  of  piers  and  arches  and  the  clerestory. 
The  name  is  supposed  to  be  derived  from  ires  and 
fores — three  doors  or  openings,  for  such  is  often 
the  number  of  arches  in  each  bay.  Professor  Wil- 
lis, however,  believed  that  the  word  is  traced  to  a 
monkish  Latin  word  for  thoroughfare. 

Clerestory,  or  clearstory,  is  the  upper  story  of 
the  nave  of  the  church  above  the  aisles  and  pierced 
with  windows.  The  windows  of  the  clerestories  of 
Norman  work  are  less  important  than  in  the  later 
styles.  They  become  larger  in  the  Early  English 
period  and  more  important  in  the  Decorated,  always 
lengthening  as  the  triforium  diminishes. 

Sometimes  the  choir  occupies  two  bays  of  the 
nave,  but  usually  begins  with  the  screen  placed  on 
the  east  side  of  the  central  tower.  In  olden  days 
this  was  the  rood-screen,  so  called  because  a  large 
crucifix,  or  rood,  stood  on  it.  All  roods  were  de- 
stroyed during  the  Reformation.  At  the  present 
time  the  organ  is  frequently  placed  here ;  and  there 
is  diversity  of  opinion  about  the  artistic  propriety 
of  its  position. 

Entering  the  choir  we  see  the  high  altar  often 
with  a  reredos  (French  I'arriere  dos,  i.e.,  em- 
broidered hangings).  Along  the  sides  of  the  choir 
are  the  seats,  or  stalls,  usually  of  carved  oak,  sur- 
mounted with  tracery,  arches  and  pinnacles.  Among 


ENGLISH  ARCHITECTURE  ix 

these  is  the  bishop's  seat,  or  throne.  Frequently 
the  stalls  exhibit  beautiful  tabernacle-work  and  the 
misereres  (misericorde),  which  turn  up  and  afford 
support  to  a  person  in  a  position  between  sitting 
and  standing,  are  generally  carved  with  grotesque 
and  quaint  figures  and  caricatures.  Vestries  for 
the  use  of  priests  and  choristers  are  often  situated 
near  the  choir. 

At  the  back  of  the  choir  (the  retro-choir)  was 
placed  the  chief  shrine,  where  relics  of  the  great 
saint  of  the  cathedral  were  kept  and  to  which  the 
streams  of  pilgrims  passed.  In  many  churches  the 
steps  and  pavements  are  worn  away.  Near  the 
shrine  was  a  watching-chamber,  where  a  monk 
guarded  the  shrine  and  its  treasures. 

Further  east  the  Lady-Chapel  was  situated, 
though  in  a  few  cases  it  is  found  on  the  north  side, 
e.  g.  Bristol  and  Ely. 

"  In  Italy  the  bones  of  a  saint  or  martyr  were  almost 
invariably  deposited  either  beneath  or  immediately,  in 
front  of  the  altar.  But  in  the  Gothic  nations  this  original 
notion  of  the  burial-place  of  the  Saints  became  obscured, 
in  the  increasing  desire  to  give  them  a  more  honourable 
place.  According  to  the  precise  system  of  orientation 
adopted  by  the  German  and  Celtic  nations,  the  eastern 
portion  of  the  church  was  in  those  countries  regarded  as 
pre-eminently  sacred.  Thither  the  high  altar  was  gen- 
erally moved,  and  to  it  the  eyes  of  the  congregation  were 
specially  directed.  And  in  the  eagerness  to  give  a  higher 
and  holier  even  than  the  highest  and  holiest  place  to  any 
great  saint,  on  whom  popular  devotion  was  fastened,  there 
sprang  up  in  most  of  the  larger  churches  during  the 
Thirteenth  Century  a  fashion  of  throwing  out  a  still 
further  eastern  end,  in  which  the  shrine  or  altar  of  the 
saint  might  be  erected, — and  to  which,  therefore,  not 
merely  the  gaze  of  the  whole  congregation,  but  of  the 
officiating  priest  himself,  even  as  he  stood  before  the  high 
altar,  might  be  constantly  turned.  Thus,  according  to 


x  STYLES  OF 

Fuller's  quaint  remark,  the  superstitious  reverence  for  the 
dead  reached  its  highest  pitch, 'the  porch  saying  to  the 
churchyard,  the  church  to  the  porch,  the  chancel  to  the 
church,  the  east  end  to  all—"  Stand  further  off,  I  am  holier 
than  thou." '  This  notion  happened  to  coincide  in  point 
of  time  with  the  burst  of  devotion  towards  the  Virgin 
Mary,  which  took  place  under  the  Pontificate  of  Innocent 
III.,  during  the  first  years  of  the  Thirteenth  Century ;  and, 
therefore,  in  all  cases  where  there  was  no  special  local 
saint,  this  eastern  end  was  dedicated  to  Our  Lady  and 
the  chapel  thus  formed  was  called  The  Lady-Chapel.  Such 
was  the  case  in  the  Cathedrals  of  Salisbury,  Norwich, 
Hereford,  Wells,  Gloucester  and  Chester.  But  when  the 
popular  feeling  of  any  city  or  neighbourhood  had  been  di- 
rected to  some  indigenous  object  of  devotion,  this  at 
once  took  the  highest  place,  and  the  Lady-Chapel,  if  any 
there  were,  was  thrust  down  to  a  less  honourable  position. 
Of  this  arrangement,  the  most  notable  instances  in  Eng- 
land are,  or-  were  (for  in  many  cases  the  very  sites  have 
perished),  the  shrines  of  St.  Alban  in  Hertfordshire,  St. 
Edmund  at  Bury,  St.  Edward  in  Westminster  Abbey,  St. 
Cuthbert  at  Durham,  and  St.  Etheldreda  at  Ely."— 
(A.  P.  S.) 


Sedilia,  seats  used  by  the  priest,  deacon  and  sub- 
deacon  during  the  pauses  in  the  mass,  are  generally 
cut  into  the  south  walls  of  churches,  separated  by 
shafts  or  species  of  mullions  and  surmounted  by 
canopies,  pinnacles  or  other  elaborate  adornments. 
The  piscina  and  aumbry  are  sometimes  attached  to 
them. 

The  piscina  is  a  hollowed  out  niche  with  drain 
to  carry  away  the  water  used  in  the  ablutions  dur- 
ing mass.  After  the  Thirteenth  Century  there  is 
scarcely  an  altar  in  England  without  one.  Some- 
times the  piscina  is  in  the  form  of  a  double 
niche. 

Beneath  the  cathedral  there  is  often  a  crypt — in 
reality  a  second  church,  often  of  great  size. 


ENGLISH  ARCHITECTURE  xi 

"We  may  be  tempted  to  ask,  what  is  the  purpose  of  a 
crypt?  Some  have  said  that  it  was  merely  meant  to  give 
dignity  to  the  church,  or  to  avoid  the  damp.  It  appears, 
however,  to  be  a  custom  taken  from  the  very  early 
Christian  churches  at  Rome,  which  were  in  many  cases 
built  over  the  tomb  of  a  martyr,  and  had  therefore  a  lower 
and  an  upper  church.  Indeed  if  we  imagine  the  central 
portion  of  the  choir  steps  removed  so  that  the  nave  floor 
might  extend  without  interruption  to  the  crypt,  and  a 
clear  view  of  the  crypt  be  open  to  the  nave,  we  should 
have  an  arrangement  precisely  similar  to  that  of  several 
Italian  churches,  notably  that  of  San  Zenone,  at  Verona." 
— (F.  and  R.) 

As  a  rule,  the  monastic  buildings,  refectory,  dor- 
mitory, infirmary,  etc.,  were  built  on  the  south  side, 
and  here  were  also  the  cloisters,  those  pleasant 
walks  and  seats  for  exercise  and  recreation  sur- 
rounding a  peaceful  quadrangle.  The  slype,  or 
passage  on  the  east  side,  led  to  the  monks'  cemetery. 

In  the  chapter-house  the  monks  transacted  their 
business. 

The  chapter-house,  often  one  of  the  richest  and 
most  beautiful  portions  of  the  cathedral,  may  be 
of  any  form.  Those  of  Canterbury,  Exeter,  Chester 
and  Gloucester  are  oblong;  those  of  Salisbury, 
Wells,  Lincoln,  Yofk  and  Westminster  are  octago- 
nal; and  that  of  Worcester  is  circular.  At  Salis- 
bury, Wells,  Lincoln  and  Worcester  a  single  mas- 
sive shaft  supports  the  vault. 

In  examining  a  cathedral  we  must  remember 
that  many  changes  have  taken  place  since  the  first 
stone  was  laid.  If  the  monks  were  fortunate 
enough  to  have  a  full  treasury,  they  kept 
up  with  the  architectural  styles.  They  would 
pull  down  the  old  nave,  or  choir,  or  tran- 
septs, and  erect  new  buildings,  lower  the  pitch  of 


xii  STYLES  OF 

the  roof,  add  a  new  porch  or  door,  or  insert  new 
windows  in  the  ancient  walls.  Fires  were  frequent 
and  lightning  and  winds  often  played  havoc  with 
towers  and  spires.  Such  manifestations  of  the  dis- 
pleasure of  the  elements  or  saints  necessitated  re- 
building; and,  as  a  rule,  this  rebuilding  was  under- 
taken in  the  latest  fashion.  Therefore-,  we  find  in 
most  cathedrals  specimens  of  many  styles  of  archi- 
tecture. 

"As  we  see  our  cathedrals  now,  the  view  that  meets  us 
differs  much  from  that  which  would  have  greeted  us  in 
mediaeval  times.  Then  all  was  ablaze  with  colours. 
Through  the  beautiful  ancient  glass  the  light  gleamed  on 
tints  of  gorgeous  hues,  and  rich  tapestries  and  hangings, 
on  walls  bedight  with  paintings,  and  every  monument,  pier 
and  capital  were  aglow  with  coloured  decorations.  We 
have  lost  much,  but  still  much  remains.  A't  the  Reforma- 
tion the  avaricious  courtiers  of  Henry  VIII.  plundered 
our  sacred  shrines,  and  carried  off  under  the  plea  of  ban- 
ishing superstition  vast  stores  of  costly  plate  and  jewels, 
tapestry  and  hangings.  In  the  Civil  War  time  riotous, 
fanatical  soldiers  wrought  havoc  everywhere,  hacking  beau- 
tifully-carved tombs  and  canopies,  destroying  brasses,  and 
mutilating  all  that  they  could  find.  Ages  of  neglect  have 
also  left  their  marks  upon  our  churches;  and  above  all 
the  hand  of  the  ignorant  and  injudicious  'restorer'  has 
fallen  heavily  on  these  legacies  of  Gothic  art,  destroying 
much  that  was  of  singular  beauty,  and  replacing  it  by  the 
miserable  productions  of  early  Nineteenth  Century  fabri- 
cation."—(P.  H.  D.) 

And  now,  in  order  to  make  our  visits  more  en- 
joyable, let  us  refresh  our  memories  with  a  slight 
resume  of  the  four  leading  styles  of  English  Archi- 
tecture. 

The  Pointed  Arch  appeared  almost  simultane- 
ously in  all  the  civilized  countries  of  Europe.  It 
was  probably  discovered  by  the  Crusaders  in  the 


ENGLISH  ARCHITECTURE  xiii 

Holy  Land  and  brought  home  by  them.  None  of 
its  charming  and  beautiful  accessories,  however, 
accompanied  it;  the  graceful  clusters  of  pillars,  the 
tracery  and  mullions  were  to  be  developed  by  the 
Europeans.  One  of  the  first  to  use  the  word 
Gothic  to  define  Pointed  Architecture  was  Sir 
Henry  Wotton;  and  it  seems  that  the  word  was 
finally  determined  as  a  definition  by  Sir  Christo- 
pher Wren.  An  English  critic  says: 

"  The  pointed  arch  was  a  graft  on  the  Romanesque,  Lom- 
bard and  Byzantine  architecture  of  Europe,  just  as  the 
circular  arch  of  the  Romans  had  been  on  the  columnar 
ordinances  of  the  Greeks ;  bwt  with  a  widely  different 
result.  The  amalgamation  in  the  latter  case  destroyed  the 
beauty  of  both  the  stock  and  the  scion ;  while  in  the  former 
the  stock  lent  itself  to  the  modifying  influence  of  its  para- 
sitical nursling,  gradually  gave  up  its  heavy,  dull  and 
cheerless  forms,  and  was  eventually  lost  in  its  beautiful 
offspring,  as  the  unlovely  caterpillar  is  in  the  gay  and 
graceful  butterfly." 

Although  Pointed  or  Gothic  Architecture  de- 
veloped with  almost  equal  vigour  in  every  country 
of  Europe,  it  reached  its  greatest  perfection  in 
France.  Many  of  the  finest  earliest  buildings  in 
England  were,  to  a  great  extent,  French  in  their 
origin,  or  development;  but,  hi  the  course  of  time, 
English  Gothic  Architecture  became  very  original. 
In  this  country 

"  Gothic  architecture  seems  to  have  attained  its  ultimate 
perfection  in  the  Fourteenth  Century,  at  which  period 
everything  belonging  to  it  was  conceived  and  executed 
in  a  free  and  bold  spirit,  all  the  forms  were  graceful  and 
natural,  and  all  the  details  of  foliage  and  other  sculptures 
were  copied  from  living  types,  with  a  skill  and  truth  of 
drawing  which  has  never  been  surpassed.  Conventional 
forms  were  in  a  great  measure  abandoned,  and  it  seems 
to  have  been  rightly  and  truly  considered  that  the  fittest 


xiv  STYLES  OF 

monuments  for  the  House  of  God  were  faithful  copies  of 
His  works;  and  so  long^  as  this  principle  continued  to  be 
acted  on,  so  long  did  Gothic  architecture  remain  pure. 
But  in  the  succeeding  century,  under  the  later  Henrys 
and  Edwards,  a  gradual  decline  took  place :  everything  was 
moulded  to  suit  a  preconceived  idea,  the  foliage  lost  its 
freshness,  and  was  moulded  into  something  of  a  rect- 
angular form;  the  arches  were  depressed,  the  windows 
lowered,  the  flowing  curves  of  the  tracery  converted  into 
straight  lines,  panelling  profusely  used,  and  the  square 
form  everywhere  introduced ;  until  at  length  the  prevalence 
of  the  horizontal  line  led  easily  and  naturally  to  the 
Renaissance  of  the  classic  styles,  though  in  an  impure  and 
much  degraded  form.  The  mixture  of  the  two  styles  first 
appears  in  the  time  of  Henry  VII., — a  period  in  which 
(though  remarkable  for  the  beauty  and  delicacy  of  its 
details)  the  grand  conceptions  of  form  and  proportion  of 
the  previous  century  seem  to  have  been  lost.  Heaviness 
or  clumsiness  of  form,  combined  with  exquisite  beauty 
of  detail,  are  the  characteristics  of  this  era." — (J.  H.  P.) 

The  styles  are  generally  classified  as  follows: 
I.  Norman,  or  Romanesque;  II.  Early  English; 
III.  Decorated;  IV.  Perpendicular. 

"  Soon  after  the  Norman  Conquest  a  great  change  took 
place  in  the  art  of  building  in  England.  On  consulting 
the  history  of  our  cathedral  churches,  we  find  that  in 
almost  every  instance  the  church  was  rebuilt  from  its 
foundations  by  the  first  Norman  bishop,  either  on  the 
same  site  or  on  a  new  one;  sometimes,  as  at  Norwich  and 
Peterborough,  the  cathedral  was  removed  to  a  new  town 
altogether,  and  built  on  a  spot  where  there  was  no 
church  before;  in  other  cases,  as  at  Winchester,  the  new 
church  was  built  near  the  old  one,  which  was  not  pulled 
down  until  after  the  relics  had  been  translated  with  great 
pomp  from  the  old  church  to  the  new.  In  other  instances, 
as  in  York  and  Canterbury,  the  new  church  was  erected 
on  the  site  of  the  old  one,  which  was  pulled  down  piecemeal 
as  the  new  work  progressed.  These  new  churches  were  in 
all  cases  on  a  much  larger  and  more  magnificent  scale  than 
the  old. 


ENGLISH  ARCHITECTURE  xv 

"  Strictly  speaking,  the  Norman  is  one  of  the  Roman- 
esque styles,  which  succeeded  to  the  old  Roman;  but  the 
Gothic  was  so  completely  developed  from  the  Norman 
that  it  is  impossible  to  draw  a  line  of  distinction  between 
them;  it  is  also  convenient  to  begin  with  the  Norman, 
because  the  earliest  complete  buildings  that  we  have  in  this 
country  are  of  the  Norman  period,  and  the  designs  of  the 
Norman  architects,  at  the  end  of  the  Eleventh  Century 
and  the  beginning  of  the  Twelfth,  were  on  so  grand  a 
scale  that  many  of  our  finest  cathedrals  are  built  on  the 
foundations  of  the  churches  of  that  period,  and  a  great 
part  of  the  walls  are  frequently  found  to  be  really  Norman 
in  construction,  although  their  appearance  is  so  entirely 
altered  that  it  is  difficult  at  first  to  realise  this;  for  in- 
stance, in  the  grand  cathedral  of  Winchester,  William  of 
Wykeham  did  not  rebuild  it,  but  so  entirely  altered  the 
appearance  that  it  is  now  properly  considered  as  one  of  the 
earliest  examples  of  the  English  Perpendicular  style,  of 
which  he  was  the  inventor ;  this  style  is  entirely  confined  to 
England ;  it  is  readily  distinguished  from  any  of  the  Con- 
tinental styles  by  the  perpendicular  lines  in  the  tracery  of 
the  windows,  and  in  the  panelling  on  the  walls;  in  all  the 
foreign  styles  these  lines  are  flowing  or  flame-like,  and  for 
that  reason  they  are  called  Flamboyant;  a  few  windows 
with  tracery  of  that  style  are  met  with  in  England,  but 
they  are  quite  exceptions." — (J.  H.  P.) 

The  works  of  this  period  were  colossal.  Peter- 
borough was  begun  in  1117  and  finished  in  1143; 
the  nave  of  Norwich  was  built  between  1122  and 
1145;  Canterbury  was  finished  in  1130;  and  part  of 
Rochester  in  the  same  year. 

In  the  time  of  William  Rufus  all  the  Saxon 
cathedrals  were  being  rebuilt  on  a  larger  scale. 
From  this  reign  date  the  crypt  of  Worcester ;  crypt, 
arches  of  the  nave  and  part  of  the  transepts  of 
Gloucester;  the  choir  and  transepts  of  Durham; 
and  the  choir  and  transepts  of  Norwich. 

In  the  reign  of  Henry  I.  the  choirs  of  Ely,  Roch- 
ester, Norwich  and  Canterbury  were  dedicated; 


xvi  STYLES  OF 

and  among  the  new  works  begun  were  the  n 
of  Durham  and  the  choir  of  Peterborough. 

"The  piers  in  the  earlier  period  are  either  square  solu 
masses  of  masonry,  or  recessed  in  the  angles  in  the  sam 
manner  as  the  arches,  or  they  are  plain,  round  massiv 
pillars,  with  frequently  only  an  impost  of  very  simpl 
character,  but  often  with  capitals. 

"  The   capitals  in   early   work   are   either   plain,   cubica 
masses  with  the  lower  angles  rounded  off,  forming  a  sor 
of   rude  cushion   shape,   as   at  Winchester,   or   they  hav 
a    sort   of    rude    volute,    apparently    in    imitation    of    th 
Ionic,   cut   upon   the  angles;    and   in   the   centre   of    eac 
face  a  plain  square  block  in  the  form  of  the  Tau  cross  i 
left  projecting,  as  if  to  be  afterwards  carved.     The  seal 
loped   capital   belongs   to   rather   a   later   period   than   the 
plain  cushion  or  the  rude  Ionic,  and  does  not  occur  before 
the  time  of  Henry  I.     This  form  of  capital  was  perhaps 
the  most  common  of  all  in  the  first  half  of  the  Twelfth 
Century,  and  continued  in  use  to  the  end  of  the  Norman 
style.     The  capitals  were   frequently   carved   at   a  period 
subsequent  to   their  erection,   as  in  the  crypt  at   Canter- 
bury, where  some  of  the  capitals  are  finished,  others  half- 
finished,  with  two  sides  blank  and  others  not  carved  at  all. 
In  later  Norman  work  the  capitals  are  frequently  orna- 
mented  with   foliage,   animals,  groups  of  figures,  etc.,   in 
endless  variety.     The  abacus  throughout  the  style  is  the 
most  characteristic  member,  and  will  frequently  distinguish 
a  Norman  capital  when  other  parts  are  doubtful. 

"  Norman  ornaments  are  of  endless  variety;  the  most 
common  is  the  chevron,  or  zigzag,  and  this  is  used  more 
and  more  abundantly  as  the  work  gets  later;  it  is  found 
at  all  periods  even  in  Roman  work  of  the  Third  Century 
and  probably  earlier,  but  in  all  early  work  it  is  used 
sparingly,  and  the  profusion  with  which  it  is  used  in  late 
work  is  one  of  the  most  ready  marks  by  which  to  dis- 
tinguish that  the  work  is  late.  The  sunk  star  is  a  very 
favourite  ornament  throughout  the  style;  it  occurs  on  the 
abacus  of  the  capitals  in  the  chapel  of  the  White  Tower, 
London,  and  it  seems  to  have  been  the  forerunner  of  the 
tooth-ornament.  The  billet  is  used  in  the  early  part  of 
Peterborough,  but  discontinued  in  the  later  work,  and 


ENGLISH  ARCHITECTURE          xvii 

not  often  occur  in  late  work.  It  is  sometimes  square, 
more  frequently  rounded.  The  beak-head,  the  cat's-head, 
the  small  medallions  with  figures  and  the  signs  of  the 
zodiac,  all  belong  to  the  later  Norman  period.  In  the 
later  Norman  mouldings  a  mixture  of  Byzantine  char- 
acter is  seen  on  the  ornaments  as  at  Durham.  It  has 
also  been  observed  that  in  the  sculpture  of  the  period 
of  the  late  Norman  style  there  is  frequently  a  certain  mix- 
ture of  the  Byzantine  Greek  character  brought  home  from 
the  East  by  the  Crusaders,  who  had  returned.  This  is 
also  one  of  the  characteristics  of  the  period  of  the  Tran- 
sition."—(J.  H.  P.) 

The  next  period — that  of  the  Transition — in 
which  the  science  of  vaulting  received  great  im- 
petus and  construction  became  more  elegant  and 
graceful  in  line,  is  splendidly  exhibited  at  Canter- 
bury in  the  work  of  the  French  William  of  Sens 
and  his  successor,  the  English  William.  Christ 
Church  Cathedral,  Oxford,  is  also  a  fine  example 
of  late  Norman  and  Transitional  work. 

The  Early  English  Style  covers  the  reigns  of 
Richard  L,  John  and  Henry  III.,  from  1189  to  1272. 
It  is  known  also  as  the  First  Pointed,  or  Lancet, 
and  is  a  purely  English  variety  of  Gothic  Archi- 
tecture. The  developments  were  always  in  the 
line  of  greater  lightness  and  elegance.  There  was 
also  throughout  this  period  a  great  use  of  delicate 
shafts  of  polished  Purbeck  marble  for  doorways, 
windows  and  arcades. 

Canterbury,  Rochester  and  Lincoln  are  famous 
examples.  Canterbury  was  completed  in  1184; 
Rochester  in  1201-1227;  and  much  of  Lincoln  was 
finished  (especially  the  choir  and  eastern  transept 
with  its  chapels)  before  1200. 

Salisbury  Cathedral,  however,  is  usually  consid- 
ered as  The  Type  of  the  Early  English  style,  because 


xviii  STYLES  OF 

it  is  less  mixed  than  any  other  building  of  the  same 
importance.  It  was  commenced  in  1220  and  conse- 
crated in  1258. 

The  choir  and  apse  of  Westminster  Abbey  and 
the  north  transept  of  York  Minster  are  also  good 
examples  of  this  period.  We  may  note  here  that 
it  was  customary  to  build  the  west  front  imme- 
diately after  the  choir  and  leave  the  nave  to  be 
filled  in  afterwards. 

"  New  ideas  and  a  new  life  seem  to  have  been  given 
to  architecture,  and  the  builders  appear  to  have  revelled  in 
it  even  to  exuberance  and  excess,  and  it  was  necessary 
afterwards  in  some  degree  to  soften  down  and  subdue  it. 
At  no  period  has  '  the  principle  of  verticality '  been  so 
completely  carried  out  as  in  the  Early  English  style,  and 
even  in  some  of  the  earliest  examples  of  it." — (J.  H.  P.) 

"  The  characteristic  elegance  of  the  general  architectural 
design  was  carried  out  in  all  the  details.  The  mouldings 
were  delicately  rounded  and  alternated  with  hollows  so 
drawn  as  to  give  here  delicate  and  there  most  forcible 
effects  of  light  and  shade.  Thus  the  dark  line  produced 
by  marble  in  a  pier  was  continued  by  means  of  a  dark 
shadow  in  the  arch;  and  without  considerable  knowledge 
of  the  science  of  moulding,  it  is  impossible  to  do  justice 
to  this  part  of  the  English  Early  Pointed  work,  which  has 
never  been  surpassed,  if,  indeed,  it  has  ever  been  equalled 
at  any  period  elsewhere.  The  groined  roofs  were  still 
simple  in  design,  but  a  ridge  rib  was  often  added  to  the 
necessary  transverse  and  diagonal  ribs  of  the  previous 
period.  This  gave  a  certain  hardness  of  line  to  the  vault; 
it  was  the  first  step  to  the  more  elaborate  and  later  sys- 
tems of  vaulting,  and  was  soon  followed  by  the  introduc- 
tion of  other  ribs  on  the  surface  of  the  vaulting  cells. 
Few  works  are  more  admirable  than  some  of  the  towers 
and  spires  of  this  period." — (G.  S.  S.) 

The  characteristic  of  lancet  windows  applies  only 
to  the  early  part  of  the  style  from  1190  to  about 


ENGLISH  ARCHITECTURE  xix 

1220  or  1230.  After  that  time  circles  in  the  head 
of  the  windows  of  two  or  more  lights  came  in,  and 
the  circles  became  foliated  by  about  1230,  and 
continued  to  1260  or  1270,  when  the  Decorated 
style  began  to  come  into  fashion. 

"  The  windows  in  the  earlier  examples  are  plain,  lancet- 
shaped  and  generally  narrow;  sometimes  they  are  richly 
moulded  within  and  without,  but  frequently  have  nothing 
but  a  plain  chamfer  outside  and  a  wide  splay  within.  In 
the  Early  English  style  we  have,  in  the  later  examples, 
tracery  in  the  heads  of  the  windows,  but  it  is  almost  in- 
variably in  the  form  of  circles,  either  plain  or  foliated, 
and  is  constructed  in  a  different  manner  from  genuine 
Decorated  tracery. 

"At  first  the  windows  have  merely  openings  pierced 
through  the  solid  masonry  of  the  head,  the  solid  portions 
thus  left  gradually  becoming  smaller  and  the  openings 
larger,  until  the  solid  parts  are  reduced  to  nearly  the 
same  thickness  as  the  mullions;  but  they  are  not  moulded, 
and  do  not  form  continuations  of  the  mullions  until  we  ar- 
rive at  real  Decorated  tracery.  This  kind  of  tracery  was 
called  by  Professor  Willis  plate  tracery;  being  in  fact,  a 
plate  of  stone  pierced  with  holes:  it  is  extensively  used  in 
early  French  work.  The  more  usual  kind  of  tracery  is 
called  bar  tracery,  to  distinguish  it  from  the  earlier  kind." 

-a  H.  P.) 

Doorways  are  generally  pointed  or  trefoiled,  but 
sometimes  round-headed,  and  small  doorways  are 
frequently  flat-headed,  with  the  angles  corbelled 
in  the  form  called  the  square-headed  trefoil,  or 
the  shouldered  arch.  Trefoiled  arches  are  charac- 
teristic of  this  style.  Arches  are  frequently,  but 
not  always,  acutely  pointed ;  and  in  the  more  im- 
portant buildings  are  generally  richly  moulded,  as 
in  Westminster  Abbey,  either  with  or  without  the 
tooth-ornament,  as  the  arches  at  York  Minster. 
The  pillars  are  of  various  forms,  frequently  clus- 


xx  STYLES  OF 

tered ;  but  the  most  characteristic  pillar  of  the  style 
is  the  one  with  detached  shafts,  which  are  gener- 
ally of  Purbeck  marble.  These  are  frequently  very 
long  and  slender  and  only  connected  with  the  cen- 
tral shaft  by  the  capital  and  base,  with  or  without 
one  or  two  bands  at  intervals.  These  bands  some- 
times consist  of  rings  of  copper  gilt,  as  in  the  choir 
of  Worcester  Cathedral,  and  are  sometimes  neces- 
sary for  holding  together  the  slender  shafts  of 
Purbeck  marble.  The  bases  generally  consist  of 
two  rounds,  the  lowest  one  the  largest,  both  fre- 
quently filleted,  with  a  deep  hollow  between,  placed 
horizontally,  as  at  Canterbury.  In  pure  Early 
English  work,  the  upper  member  of  the  capital, 
called  the  abacus,  is  circular  and  consists,  in  the 
earlier  examples,  simply  of  two  rounds,  the  upper 
one  the  largest,  with  a  hollow  between  them;  but 
in  later  examples  the  mouldings  are  frequently  in- 
creased in  number  and  filleted. 

Mouldings  are  chiefly  bold  rounds,  with  equally 
bold  and  deeply  cut  hollows,  which  produce  a 
strong  effect  of  light  and  shade.  Vaults  are  bolder 
than  during  the  Norman  period  and  differ  from 
succeeding  styles  by  their  greater  simplicity,  as  at 
Salisbury.  In  the  earlier  examples  there  are  ribs  on 
the  angles  of  the  groins  only;  at  a  later  period  the 
vaulting  becomes  more  complicated,  as  at  West- 
minster. There  is  a  longitudinal  rib,  and  a  cross 
rib  along  the  ridge  of  the  cross  vaults,  and  fre- 
quently also  an  intermediate  rib  on  the  surface  of 
the  vault.  The  bosses  are  rare  at  first,  more  abun- 
dant afterwards:  they  are  generally  well  worked 
and  enriched  with  foliage.  English  vaults  are 
sometimes  of  wood  only,  as  in  York  Minster,  and 
the  cloisters  at  Lincoln.  A  vault  is,  in  fact,  a  ceil- 


ENGLISH  ARCHITECTURE  xxi 

ing,  having  always  an  outer  roof  over  it.  There  is 
a  marked  distinction  in  the  construction  of  Gothic 
vaults  in  England  and  France.  In  England,  from 
the  earliest  period,  each  stone  is  cut  to  fit  its  place ; 
in  France  the  stones  are  cut  square  or  rather  ob- 
long, as  in  the  walls,  and  only  wedged  out  by  the 
thickness  of  the  mortar  at  the  back  in  the  joints. 
Fan-tracery  vaulting  is  peculiar  to  England,  and  it 
begins,  in  principle,  as  early  as  in  the  cloister  of 
Lincoln  about  1220,  where  the  vault  is  of  wood, 
but  the  springings  are  of  stone,  and  cut  to  fit  the 
ribs  of  the  wooden  vault. 

Buttresses  project  boldly,  and  flying-buttresses 
become  a  prominent  feature.  There  is  a  fine  ex- 
ample of  a  compound  flying-buttress  at  Westmin- 
ster Abbey,  which  supports  the  vaults  of  the  choir, 
the  triforium  and  the  aisles  and  carries  the  thrust 
of  the  whole  over  the  cloister  to  the  ground.  Early 
English  towers  are  generally  more  lofty  than  the 
Norman,  and  their  buttresses  have  a  greater  pro- 
jection. The  spire  is  usually  a  noticeable  feature. 
The  East  End  is  usually  square;  but  sometimes 
terminates  with  the  apse,  generally  a  half-octagon 
or  a  half-hexagon,  as  at  Westminster  Abbey. 

"  Throughout  the  Early  English  period  there  is  an  orna- 
ment used  in  the  hollow  mouldings  which  is  as  character- 
istic of  this  style  as  the  zigzag  is  of  the  Norman ;  this  con- 
sists of  a  small  pyramid,  more  or  less  acute,  cut  into  four 
leaves  or  petals  meeting  in  the  point,  but  separate  below 
as  in  Chester  Cathedral.  When  very  acute,  and  seen  in 
profile,  it  may  be  imagined  to  have  somewhat  the  appear- 
ance of  a  row  of  dog's-teeth,  and  from  this  it  has  been 
called  the  '  dog-tooth  *  ornament/  or,  by  some,  the 

*The  dog-tooth  being  in  the  form  of  a  four-leaved 
flower  with  a  projecting  centre,  has  caused  some  authorities 
to  think  it  derived  from  the  dog-tooth  violet. — (E.  S.) 


xxii  STYLES  OF 

shark's  tooth  ornament,  more  commonly  the  tooth-orna- 
ment. It  is  used  with  the  greatest  profusion  on 
arches,  between  clustered  shafts,  on  the  architraves  and 
jambs  of  doors,  windows,  piscinas  and  indeed  in  every 
place  where  such  ornament  can  be  introduced.  It  is  very 
characteristic  of  this  style,  and  begins  quite  at  the  com- 
mencement of  the  style,  as  in  St.  Hugh's  work  at  Lincoln; 
for  though  in  the  Norman  we  find  an  approach  to  it,  in  the 
Decorated  various  modifications  of  it  occur;  still  the 
genuine  tooth-ornament  may  be  considered  to  belong  ex- 
clusively to  the  Early  English. 

"  Another  peculiarity  consists  of  the  foliage,  which  dif- 
fers considerably  from  the  Norman :  in  the  latter  it  has 
more  or  less  the  appearance  of  being  imitated  from  that 
of  the  Classic  orders,  while  in  this  it  is  entirely  original. 
Its  essential  form  seems  to  be  that  of  a  trefoil  leaf,  but  this 
is  varied  in  such  a  number  of  ways  that  the  greatest 
variety  is  produced.  It  is  used  in  cornices,  the  bosses  of 
groining,  the  mouldings  of  windows  and  doorways,  and 
various  other  places,  but  particularly  in  capitals  to  which 
it  gives  a  peculiar  and  distinctive  character.  The  foliage  of 
these  capitals  is  technically  called  '  stiff-leaf  foliage/  but 
this  alludes  only  to  the  stiff  stem  or  stalk  of  the  leaf, 
which  rises  from  the  ring  of  the  capital ;  the  foliage  itself 
is  frequently  as  far  removed  from  stiffness  as  any  can 
be,  as  for  instance  in  the  capitals  of  Lincoln.  The  stiff 
stalk  is,  however,  a  ready  mark  to  distinguish  the  Early 
English  capital  from  that  of  the  succeeding  style.  We 
must  bear  in  mind,  however,  that  foliage  is  by  no  means  an 
essential  feature  of  the  Early  English  style;  many  of  our 
finest  buildings,  such  as  Westminster  Abbey,  have  their 
capitals  formed  of  a  plain  bell  reversed,  with  mouldings 
round  the  abacus  like  rings  put  upon  it,  and  round  the 
neck. 

"  The  ornaments  so  well  known  by  the  name  of  crockets 
were  first  introduced  in  this  style.  The  name  is  taken 
from  the  shepherd's  crook,  adopted  by  the  bishops  as  em- 
blematical of  their  office.  They  occur  at  Lincoln,  in  St. 
Hugh's  work,  the  earliest  example  of  this  style,  and 
are  there  used  in  the  unusual  position  of  being  in  a 
vertical  line  between  the  detached  shafts.  They  are  found 
in  the  same  position  also  in  the  beautiful  work  of  the 


ENGLISH  ARCHITECTURE         xxiii 

west  front  of  Wells.  Afterwards  they  were  used  entirely 
on  the  outside  of  pediments,  or  in  similar  situations,  pro- 
jecting from  the  face  of  the  work,  or  the  outer  surface 
of  the  moulding,  as  in  the  very  beautiful  tomb  of  Arch- 
bishop Walter  Grey  in  York  Cathedral;  and  they  con- 
tinued in  use  in  the  subsequent  styles,  although  their  form 
and  character  gradually  change  with  the  style." — (J.  H.  P.) 

The  transition  from  the  Early  English  to  the 
Decorated  was  very  gradual.  It  took  place  during 
the  reign  of  Edward  I.  The  transepts  of  West- 
minster Abbey  are  held  up  as  models  of  this  tran- 
sition and  contain  some  of  the  most  beautiful  work 
that  can  be  found  anywhere.  The  crosses  erected 
by  Edward  I.  at  all  places  where  the  body  of  Queen 
Eleanor  had  rested,  on  the  march  from  Lincoln- 
shire to  Westminster  Abbey,  where  she  was  buried, 
are  usually  regarded  as  fine  early  examples  of  the 
Decorated  style.  Easy  attitudes  and  graceful 
draperies  characterise  the  sculpture  of  human 
figures. 

The  Decorated  Period  dates  from  1300  to  1377. 
It  is  also  called  the  Middle  Pointed,  Geometrical 
Pointed  and  the  Flowing,  or  Curvilinear,  and  also 
the  Edwardian,  because  it  covers  the  reigns  of 
Edward  I.,  II.  and  III. 

Exeter  Cathedral  is  a  superb  example  of  this 
style.  The  nave  of  York  Minster  and  the  lantern 
of  Ely  are  also  noteworthy  illustrations. 

"  The  general  appearance  of  Decorated  buildings  is  at 
once  simple  and  magnificent;  simple  from  the  small  num- 
ber of  parts,  and  magnificent  from  the  size  of  the  win- 
dows, and  the  easy  flow  of  the  lines  of  tracery.  In  the 
interior  of  large  buildings  we  find  great  breadth,  and  an 
enlargement  of  the  clerestory  windows,  with  a  correspond- 
ing diminution  of  the  triforium,  which  is  now  rather  a 
part  of  the  clerestory  opening  than  a  distinct  member  of 


xxiv  STYLES  OF 

the  division.  The  roofing,  from  the  increased  richness  of 
the  groining,  becomes  an  object  of  more  attention.  On 
the  whole  the  nave  of  York,  from  the  uncommon  grandeur 
and  simplicity  of  the  design,  is  certainly  the  finest  ex- 
ample; ornament  is  nowhere  spared,  yet  there  is  a  sim- 
plicity which  is  peculiarly  pleasing." — (Rickman.) 

"  The  Decorated  style  is  distinguished  by  its  large  win- 
dows divided  by  mullions,  and  the  tracery  either  in  flow- 
ing lines,  or  forming  circles,  trefoils  and  other  geometrical 
figures,  and  not  running  perpendicularly;  its  ornaments 
are  numerous  and  very  delicately  carved,  more  strictly 
faithful  to  nature  and  more  essentially  parts  of  the 
structure  than  in  any  other  style.  There  is  a  very  fine 
window  with  reticulated  tracery  and  richly  moulded  in  the 
south  walk  of  the  cloisters  at  Westminster.  No  rule  what- 
ever is  followed  in  the  form  of  the  arch  over  windows 
in  this  style;  some  are  very  obtuse,  others  very  acute  and 
the  ogee  arch  is  not  uncommon.  Decorated  tracery  is 
usually  divided  into  three  general  classes — geometrical, 
flowing  and  flamboyant;  the  variety  is  so  great  that 
many  sub-divisions  may  be  made,  but  they  were  all  used 
simultaneously  for  a  considerable  period.  The  earliest 
Decorated  windows  have  geometrical  tracery;  Exeter 
Cathedral  is,  perhaps,  on  the  whole,  the  best  typical  ex- 
ample of  the  early  part  of  this  style.  The  fabric  rolls 
are  preserved,  and  it  is  now  evident  that  the  existing 
windows  are,  for  the  most  part,  of  the  time  of  Bishop 
Quiv.il,  from  1279  to  1291.  In  some  instances  windows 
with  geometrical  tracery  have  the  mouldings  and  the 
mullions  covered  with  the  ball-flower  ornament  in  great 
profusion,  even  to  excess;  these  examples  occur  chiefly 
in  Herefordshire,  as  at  Leominster ;  and  in  Gloucestershire, 
as  in  the  south  aisle  of  the  nave  of  the  Cathedral  at 
Gloucester:  they  are  for  the  most  part,  if  not  entirely, 
of  the  time  of  Edward  II.  What  is  called  the  netlike  char- 
acter of  tracery,  from  its  general  resemblance  to  a  fisher- 
man's net,  is  very  characteristic  of  this  style  at  its  best 
period,  about  the  middle  of  the  Fourteenth  Century. 
Square-headed  windows  are  very  common.  Windows  in 
towers  are  usually  different  from  those  in  other  parts  of 
the  church.  In  the  upper  story,  where  the  bells  are,  there 
is  no  glass;  in  some  parts  of  the  country  there  is  pierced 


ENGLISH  ARCHITECTURE          xxv 

stonework  for  keeping  out  the  birds,  but  more  usually 
they  are  of  wood  only.  These  are  called  sound-holes. 
Clerestory  windows  of  this  style  are  often  small,  and 
either  circular  with  quatrefoil  cusps,  or  trefoils  or  quatre- 
f oils ;  or  the  spherical  triangle  with  cusps,  which  forms  an 
elegant  window.  The  clever  manner  in  which  these 
windows  are  splayed  within  and  especially  below,  to  throw 
down  the  light,  should  be  noticed." — (J.  H.  P.) 

The  large  rose-window,  so  conspicuous  a  feature 
on  the  Continent,  is  rarely  seen  in  England.  When 
it  does  occur  it  is  usually  found  in  the  transept 
ends. 

The  East  Front  generally  consists  of  one  large 
window  at  the  end  of  the  choir,  flanked  by  tall 
buttresses.  A  smaller  buttress  appears  at  the  end 
of  each  aisle.  The  arrangement  of  the  West  Front 
is  the  same,  with  a  doorway  beneath  the  central 
window.  The  towers  of  the  Decorated  style  are 
usually  placed  at  the  west  end  and  are,  as  a  rule, 
similar  to  the  Early  English.  The  spires  differ 
slightly  from  those  of  the  Early  English,  except 
that  there  are  generally  more  spire-lights  and  small 
windows  at  the  bases  and  sides  of  the  spire.  Lich- 
field  Cathedral  is  one  of  the  best  examples  of  the 
exterior  of  a  perfect  church  of  the  Decorated  style. 
Its  three  spires  are  perfect. 

The  ogee  arch  is  frequently  used  in  small  arcades 
and  in  the  heads  of  windows.  The  dripstones,  or 
hood  moulds,  are  generally  supported  by  heads  and 
are  frequently  enriched  with  crockets  and  finials. 
The  arcades  that  ornament  the  walls  and  those 
over  the  sedilia  are  characteristic  features  of  the 
style.  Pillars  are  clustered  and  arches  richly 
moulded;  they  often  have  the  hood-moulding  over 
them.  Very  often  they  have  what  is  called  a  stilted 
base.  The  capitals  are  ornamented  with  beautiful 


xxvi  STYLES  OF 

foliage :  each  leaf  is  copied  from  nature  and  often 
arranged  round  the  bell  of  the  capital.  The  orna- 
mental sculptures  in  the  hollow  mouldings  are 
numerous,  but  there  are  two  which  require  more 
particular  notice ;  they  are  nearly  as  characteristic 
of  the  Decorated  style  as  the  zigzag  is  of  the  Nor- 
man, or  the  tooth-ornament  of  the  Early  English. 
The  first  is  the  ball-flower,  which  is  a  globular 
flower  half  opened,  and  showing  within  a  small 
round  ball.  It  is  used  with  the  utmost  profusion 
in  the  mouldings  of  windows,  doorways,  canopies, 
cornices,  arches,  etc.  The  other  ornament  is  the 
four-leaved  flower.  This  has  a  raised  centre,  and 
four  petals  cut  in  high  relief;  it  is  frequently  much 
varied,  but  may  be  distinguished  by  its  being  cut 
distinctly  into  four  petals,  and  by  its  boldness :  it 
is  sometimes  used  abundantly,  though  not  quite  so 
profusely  as  the  ball-flower.  In  some  instances 
the  centre  is  sunk  instead  of  being  raised.  The 
battlement,  as  an  ornamental  feature  in  the  interior 
of  buildings,  is  frequently  used  in  this  style,  al- 
though it  is  more  common  in  the  Perpendicular. 

The  foliage  in  this  style  is  more  faithfully  copied 
from  nature  than  in  any  other:  the  vine-leaf,  the 
maple  and  the  oak  with  the  acorn,  are  the  most 
usual.  The  surface  of  the  wall  is  often  covered 
with  flat  foliage,  arranged  in  small  squares  called 
diaper-work,  which  is  believed  to  have  originated 
in  an  imitation  of  the  rich  hangings  then  in  general 
use,  and  which  bore  the  same  name. 

The  groined  roofs  or  vaults  are  distinguished 
from  those  of  the  preceding  style,  chiefly  by  an 
additional  number  of  ribs,  and  by  the  natural  foli- 
age on  the  bosses.  Many  fine  examples  of  these 
remain,  as  in  the  Cathedral  of  Exeter  and  at  York 


ENGLISH  ARCHITECTURE        xxvii 

in  the  chapter-house ;  at  Norwich  in  the  cloisters ; 
at  Chester  the  vault  is  of  wood  with  stone 
springers. 

After  culminating  in  the  Decorated  style,  Gothic 
Architecture  began  to  decline  in  the  Fifteenth  and 
Sixteenth  Centuries.  The  transition  from  the  Deco- 
rated to  the  Perpendicular  took  place  from  1360 
to  1399: 

"  This  change  began  to  show  itself  in  the  choir  and  tran- 
septs of  Gloucester  Cathedral  before  the  middle  of  the 
Fourteenth  Century.  The  panelling  and  the  window- 
tracery  have  so  much  the  appearance  of  the  Perpendicular 
Style,  that  they  have  been  commonly  supposed  to  have 
been  rebuilt  or  altered  at  a  late  period;  but  the  vaultings 
and  the  mouldings  are  pure  Decorated,  and  the  painted 
glass  of  the  Fourteenth  Century  is  evidently  made  for 
the  places  which  it  now  occupies  in  the  heads  of  the 
windows  with  Perpendicular  tracery;  it  must  therefore 
be  considered  as  the  earliest  known  example  of  this  great 
change  of  style.  In  this  work  of  alteration  the  walls  and 
arches  of  the  Norman  church  were  not  rebuilt  but  cased 
with  panelling  over  the  inner  surface,  so  as  to  give  the 
effect  of  the  latter  style  to  the  interior.  This  was  just 
the  same"  process  as  was  afterwards  followed  at  Win- 
chester by  William  of  Wykeham,  in  changing  the  Norman 
to  the  Perpendicular  style  without  any  actual  rebuild- 
ing."-(J.  H.  P.) 

The  work  at  Gloucester  was  begun  as  early  as 
1337.  Another  fine  example  is  the  nave  of  Win- 
chester Cathedral. 

Bishop  Edington,  who  died  in  1366,  began  to 
alter  Winchester  into  the  Perpendicular  style.  His 
work  was  continued  by  William  of  Wykeham. 

"Before  the  death  of  Bishop  Edington  the  great  prin- 
ciples of  the  Perpendicular  style  were  fully  established. 
These  chiefly  consist  of  the  Perpendicular  lines  through 
the  head  of  the  window,  and  in  covering  the  surface  of 


xxviii  STYLES  OF 

the  wall  with  panelling  of  the  same  kind.  These  features 
are  as  distinctly  marked  at  Winchester  as  in  any  sub- 
sequent building,  or  as  they  well  could  be." — (J.  H.  P.) 

The  cloisters  of  Gloucester  Cathedral  are  de- 
cidedly Perpendicular  in  the  fan-tracery  of  the 
vaults,  but  are  partly  of  earlier  date  and  character. 
Another  example  of  the  transition  from  Decorated 
to  Perpendicular  is  the  choir  of  York  Minster, 
begun  in  1361  and  finished  in  1408.  Its  general 
appearance  is  Perpendicular. 

"  This  style  is  exclusively  English,  it  is  never  found  on 
the  Continent,  and  it  has  the  advantage  of  being  more 
economical  in  execution  than  the  earlier  styles.  It  remains 
to  describe  its  characteristic  features.  The  broad  distinc- 
tion of  the  Perpendicular  style  lies  in  the  form  of  the 
tracery  in  the  head  of  the  windows ;  and  in  fully  developed 
examples  the  distinction  is  sufficiently  obvious.  We  have 
no  longer  the  head  of  the  window  rilled  with  the  gracefully 
flowing  lines  of  the  Decorated  tracery,  but  their  place  is 
supplied  by  the  rigid  lines  of  the  mullions,  which  are  car- 
ried through  to  the  architrave  mouldings,  the  spaces  be- 
tween being  frequently  divided  and  subdivided  by  similar 
Perpendicular  lines ;  so  that  Perpendicularity  is  so  clearly 
the  characteristic  of  these  windows  that  no  other  word 
could  have  been  found  which  would  at  once  so  well  express 
the  predominating  feature.  The  same  character  prevails 
throughout  the  buildings  of  this  period :  the  whole  surface 
of  a  building,  including  its  buttresses,  parapets,  base- 
ments, and  every  part  of  the  flat  surface,  is  frequently 
covered  with  panelling  in  which  the  Perpendicular  line 
clearly  predominates;  and  to  such  an  excess  is  this  car- 
ried that  the  windows  frequently  appear  to  be  only  open- 
ings in  the  panel-work.  Panelling,  indeed,  now  forms  an 
important  feature  of  the  style;  for  though  it  was  used  in 
the  earlier  styles,  it  was  not  to  the  same  extent,  and  was 
of  very  different  character,  the  plain  surfaces  in  those 
styles  being  relieved  chiefly  by  diaper- work." — (J.  H.  P.) 

The  great  idea  of  the  architect  was  to  correct 
and  restrain  the  exuberant  tracery  by  introducing 


ENGLISH  ARCHITECTURE         xxix 

vigorous  straight  vertical  and  horizontal  lines. 
Another  feature  of  the  Perpendicular  style  was  the 
groined  roof.  The  ribs  of  the  vaulting  were  now 
enriched  by  cross  ribs,  which  were  intersected  by 
more  ribs  into  small  panels,  which  were  filled  in 
with  tracery.  The  key-stones  were  formed  into 
pendants.  This  network  of  ribs  is  called  fan-tracery 
because  the  ribs  spread  out  like  the  sticks  of  a  fan. 
Very  beautiful  examples  occur  in  Henry  VII.'s 
Chapel,  Westminster  Abbey,  and  in  the  cloisters  of 
Gloucester  Cathedral. 

"The  light  and  elegant  style  of  vaulting  known  as  fan- 
tracery,  which  is  peculiar  to  this  style,  with  its  delicate 
pendants  and  lace-like  ornaments,  harmonises  finely  with 
the  elaborate  ornament  of  the  tabernacle-work  ornament. 
Fan-tracery  vaulting  is  peculiarly  English.  The  prin- 
ciple of  it  began  with  the  earliest  English  Gothic  style, 
as  in  the  cloisters  of  Lincoln  Cathedral,  each  stone  of 
the  vaulting  being  cut  to  fit  its  place.  In  France  this  is 
never  done,  each  block  of  stone  is  oblong,  as  in  those  for 
the  walls,  and  is  only  made  to  curve  over  in  a  vault  by 
the  mortar  between  the  joints. 

"  Arches  are  not  so  acute  as  in  the  earlier  periods ;  capi- 
tals and  bases  of  columns  are  distinguished  by  the  shal- 
lowness  of  the  mouldings ;  mullions  are  carried  straight 
through  the  arch  of  the  windows;  doorways  consist  of  a 
depressed  arch  within  a  square  frame  with  a  label  above; 
the  label  moulding  is  frequently  filled  with  foliage  and  the 
space  round  the  arch  parallel;  towers  are  often  extremely 
rich  and  elaborately  ornamented  with  four  or  five  stories 
of  windows,  canopies,  pinnacles  and  tabernacles ;  porches 
are  also  fine,  highly  enriched  with  panel-work,  buttresses 
and  pinnacles,  and  often  with  a  richly-groined  vault  in  the 
interior;  and  mouldings  are  generally  more  shallow  than 
the  earlier  ones. 

"  There  is  an  ornament  which  was  introduced  in  this  style 
and  which  is  very  characteristic.  This  is  called  the  '  Tudor- 
flower/  not  because  it  was  introduced  in  the  time  of  the 
Tudors,  but  because  it  was  so  much  used  at  that  period. 


xxx  STYLES  OF 

It  generally  consists  of  some  modification  of  the  fleur-de-lis 
alternately  with  a  small  trefoil  or  ball,  and  is  much  used 
as  a  crest  for  screens  on  fonts,  niches,  capitals  and  in  al- 
most all  places  where  such  ornament  can  be  used.  The  foli- 
age of  this  style  is  frequently  very  beautifully  executed, 
almost  as  faithful  to  nature  as  in  the  Decorated  style,  in 
which  the  fidelity  to  nature  is  one  of  the  characteristic 
features.  There  is  comparatively  a  squareness  about  the 
Perpendicular  foliage,  which  takes  from  the  freshness  and 
beauty  which  distinguished  that  of  the  Decorated  style. 
Indeed,  the  use  of  square  and  angular  forms  is  one  of  the 
characteristics  of  the  style;  we  have  square  panels,  square 
foliage,  square  crockets  and  finials,  square  forms  in  the 
windows — caused  by  the  introduction  of  so  many  tran- 
soms— and  an  approach  to  squareness  in  the  depressed  and 
low  pitch  of  the  roofs  in  late  examples." — (J.  H.  P.) 

The  woodwork  of  the  Perpendicular  period  is 
very  beautiful :  open  timber  roofs  (met  with  in  the 
eastern  counties),  screens  and  lofts  across  the 
chancel-arch  and  richly  carved  bench  ends  exist  in 
considerable  numbers. 

"The  frequent  use  of  figures,  simply  as  corbels  between 
the  windows  of  the  clerestory  to  carry  the  roof,  is  a 
good  characteristic  of  the  late  Perpendicular  style;  they 
are  generally  of  the  time  of  Henry  the  Seventh  or  Eighth. 
The  figure  used  is  generally  that  of  an  angel,  and  each 
angel  is  sometimes  represented  as  carrying  a  different 
musical  instrument  so  as  to  make  up  a  heavenly  choir." — 
(J.  H.  P.) 

Among  the  best  examples  of  late  Perpendicular 
are  Henry  VII.'s  Chapel,  Westminster  Abbey;  St. 
George's  Chapel,  Windsor;  King's  College  Chapel, 
Cambridge;  and  Bath  Abbey  Church. 

In  writing  of  the  latter  W.  D.  Howells  so  beau- 
tifully describes  this  style  that  no  excuse  is  needed 
for  bringing  his  definition  into  this  place.  He  says : 

"  It  is  mostly  of  that  Perpendicular  Gothic  which  I  sup- 
pose more  mystically  lifts  the  soul  than  any  other  form 


ENGLISH  ARCHITECTURE        xxxi 

of  architecture,  and  it  is  in  a  gracious  harmony  with 
itself  through  its  lovely  proportions;  from  the  stems  of  its 
clustered  column,  the  tracery  of  their  fans  spreads  and 
delicately  feels  its  way  over  the  vaulted  roof  as  if  it  were  a 
living  growth  of  something  rooted  in  the  earth  beneath." 


ABBREVIATIONS  OF  AUTHORS 
QUOTED 


A.  A. — Alexander  Ansted 

F.  B.— Frederic  Bond 
J.   E.   B.— J.   E.   Bygate 

A.  B.  C— A.  B.  Clifton 
A.  C-B.— A.  Glutton-Brock 
J.    C-B.— J.    Cavis-Brown 
H.  C.   C.— Hubert  C   Cor- 
lette 

A.  D. — Arthur  Dimock 
C.  D.— Charles  Dickens,  Jr. 
P.  D. — Percy  Dearmer 
P.  H.  D.— P.  H.  Ditchfield 
T.  F.  D.— Thomas  Frognall 
Dibdin 

A.  H.  F.— A.  Hugh  Fisher 

E.  A.  F. — E.  A.  Freeman 

F.  W.  F.— F.  W.  Farrar 
W.    H.    F.— W.    H.    Fre- 

mantle 

H.— Hope 

C.  H.— Cecil  Hallet 

L.  H.— Leigh  Hunt 

W.  H.  H.— W.  H.  Hart 

A.   F.  K— A.  F.  Kendrick 

G.  W.  K.— Dean  Kitchin 
R.  J.  K.— Richard  J.  Knight 

L. — Dr.  Luckock 

W.  J.  L.— W.  J.  Loftie 

M.— Dean  Milrnari 


J.  McC— Justin  McCarthy 
H.  J.  L.  J.  M.-H.  J.  L.  J. 
Masse 

P.— Dean  Patrick 
P.-C— Dean   Pury-Cust 

F.  A.  P.— F.  A.  Paley 

G.  H.  P.— G.  H.  Palmer 
J.  H.  P.— J.  H.  Parker 
T.  P.— T.  Perkins 

C    H.    B.    Q.-C    H.    B. 

Quennell 

R. — Rickman 

F.  and  R.— Field  and  Rout- 
ledge 

S. — Dean  Spence 
A.  P.  S.— Dean  Stanley 
E.      F.      S.— Edward      F. 
Strange 

G.  G.  S.— G.  G.  Scott 

W.  D.  S.— W.  D.  Sweeting 

T.— Canon  Talbot 

W.— Willis 
Wai.— Walcott 
A.-a-W.— Anthony-a-Wood 
C  W.— Winston 

E.  W.— Edward  Walford 

F.  S.  W.— F.  S.  Waller 

G.  W.— Gleeson  White 
Geo.  W. — George  Worley 

'H.   W.— Hartley  Wither 


CONTENTS 

PAGE 

CANTERBURY i 

ROCHESTER 33 

WINCHESTER         46 

CHICHESTER 66 

SALISBURY 76 

EXETER 90 

WELLS 107 

BATH  ABBEY 134 

BRISTOL 140 

GLOUCESTER '.     .  151 

HEREFORD 174 

WORCESTER 188 

LlCHFIELD 200 

CHESTER 215 

MANCHESTER        222 

CARLISLE 227 

DURHAM 233 

RIPON 249 

YORK  MINSTER 260 

LINCOLN 284 

SOUTHWELL 313 

PETERBOROUGH 319 

ELY 334 

NORWICH 349 

XXXV 


xxxvi  CONTENTS 

ST.  ALBANS 360 

OXFORD 375 

ST.  PAUL'S,  LONDON 393 

ST.  SAVIOUR'S,  SOUTH  WARK 415 

WESTMINSTER  ABBEY 425 

INDEX 445 


ILLUSTRATIONS 
Salisbury:  Cloisters      .....     Frontispiece 

FACING  PAGE 

Canterbury:  South  Porch 12 

Canterbury :  Nave,  east 13 

Canterbury :  Choir,  east       ......  24 

Rochester:  West  front 25 

Rochester:  Nave,  east 40 

Rochester:  Choir,  west        ......  41 

Winchester :  Nave,  west 52 

Winchester:  Font 53 

Winchester:  Choir,  east. 64 

Winchester :  West  front       ......  65 

Chichester        ..........  72 

Chichester:  Nave,  east 73 

Chichester:  Screen 76 

Salisbury:  North 77 

Salisbury:  Nave,  east 88 

Exeter:  South-west 89 

Exeter :  Nave,  east    ........  98 

Exeter:  Choir,  east 99 

Wells:  West  front 114 

Wells:  North  Porch       .     .     .     .     .     .     .  115 

Wells:  Nave,  east 128 

Wells:    South-west 129 

Bath  Abbey :  West  front      .      .     .      .      .      .  136 

zxx  vii 


xxxviii  ILLUSTRATIONS 

Bath  Abbey :  Choir,  west     .     .      .      .      .      .137 

Bristol:  North 144 

Bristol :  Nave,  east 145 

Gloucester:  East  .      .      .      .      .  .   .      .      .      .  154 

Gloucester:  Tomb  of  Edward  II  ....  155 

Gloucester:  Choir,  east  .      .      .      .      .      .      .  164 

Gloucester:  Cloisters 165 

Hereford :  Nave,  east     ..     .     .  .   .     .     ,-     .  176 

Hereford:  North-east     .      .      .      .      .     ...  177 

Hereford :  Choir  ........     .  186 

Worcester:  South-we^st  .      .     .      .      .      .    ...  187 

Worcester :  Nave,  east    .      .      .     .     ...  192 

Worcester:  Choir,  east  .      .      .      .      .      .      .  193 

Lichfield :  West  front      .      .      .  .    .      .      .      .  200 

Lichfield :  Nave,  east       .      .      .     .     .      .     .  201 

Lichfield:  from  East  window    .      .     .      .     .212 

Chester:  North     .      .      ....     .     .     .  213 

Chester:  Choir,  west      .......  218 

Chester:  Choir-stalls( .      .  219 

Manchester :  South    .      .      .      .      ...      .  224 

Manchester :  Nave,  east       ......  225 

Carlisle :  South-west        .......  228 

Carlisle :  Choir 229 

Carlisle :  East  End    .      .     .     .     .     .      .     .  232 

Durham:  West  front .233 

Durham :  Nave,  east       .......  240 

Durham :  Galilee  Chapel      ......  241 

Durham:  Neville  Screen 248 

Ripon:  South                  .     .     : 249 

Ripon:  Nave,  east          .     >     twj     .  254 


ILLUSTRATIONS  xxxix 

Ripon:  Choir,  east 255 

York  Minster:  West  front -268 

York  Minster :  South      .      .    . .     ;.     .      .      .  269 

York  Minster:  Choir,  east 278 

York  Minster:  Choir,  west       .     .     .      ...  279 

Lincoln: 'West  front       .......  288 

Lincoln :  Great  West  Door 289 

Lincoln:  Angel  Choir 298 

Lincoln:  Choir,  east 299 

Lincoln:  East  Window 306 

Southwell:  North-west 307 

Southwell:  Chapter-House         316 

Peterborough:  West  front 317 

Peterborough :  Choir,  east 328 

Peterborough:  South .  329 

Ely:  West  Towers 336 

Ely:  Choir,  east .     .     .     .  337 

Ely :  East  End  and  Lady-Chapel    ....  346 

Ely:  Lady-Chapel 347 

Norwich:  East 356 

Norwich:  Choir 357 

St.  Albans:  North 366 

St.  Albans:  Nave,  east 367 

Oxford:  Tower  and  Entrance       .     .      .      .  382 

Oxford:  Choir,  east       .           383 

Oxford:  Latin  Chapel 392 

St.  Paul's :  West  front 393 

St.  Paul's:  Choir,  east 414 

St.  Saviour's,  Southwark 415 

St.  Saviour's,  Southwark:  Nave,  east      .     .  424 


xl 


ILLUSTRATIONS 


Westminster  Abbey : 
Westminster  Abbey : 
Westminster  Abbey: 
Westminster  Abbey: 


West  front  ....  425 

Poets'  Corner    .      .      .  432 

Choir,  east    ....  433 
Chapel    and    Shrine   of 

Edward  the  Confessor 436 

Westminster  Abbey :  Henry  VII. 's  Chapel     .  437 

Westminster  Abbey :  Cloisters        ....  440 

Westminster  Abbey:  South-west    ....  441 


CANTERBURY 

DEDICATION:  CHRIST  CHURCH.  FORMERLY  THE  CHURCH  OF 
A  BENEDICTINE  MONASTERY. 

SPECIAL  FEATURES:  BECKET'S  CROWN;  DOOR  OF  CHAPTER- 
HOUSE; WEST  DOORWAY;  CRYPT. 

CANTERBURY  CATHEDRAL  presents  a  beautiful  effect 
when  seen  from  a  distance,  keeping  watch  over 
the  city  that  lies  in  the  valley  of  the  Stour,  girdled 
by  hills.  On  one  of  these  hills  stands  the  village 
of  Harbledown,  the  "  Bob  Up  and  Down/'  where 
Chaucer's  Pilgrims  halted,  and  from  which  a  charm- 
ing view  of  the  ancient  Cathedral  is  to  be  enjoyed. 
Another  fine  prospect  is  gained  from  St.  Mar- 
tin's : 

"  Let  any  one  sit  on  the  hill  of  the  little  church  of  St. 
Martin,  and  look  on  the  view  which  is  there  spread  before 
his  eyes.  Immediately  below  are  the  towers  of  the  great 
Abbey  of  St.  Augustine,  where  Christian  learning  and 
civilisation  first  struck  root  in  the  Anglo-Saxon  race;  and 
within  which  now,  after  a  lapse  of  many  centuries,  a  new 
institution  has  arisen,  intended  to  carry  far  and  wide  to 
countries  of  which  Gregory  and  Augustine  never  heard,  the 
blessings  which  they  gave  to  us.  Carry  your  view  on, — 
and  there  rises  high  above  all  the  magnificent  pile  of  our 
Cathedral  equal  in  splendour  and  state  to  any,  the  noblest 
temple  or  church,  that  Augustine  could  have  seen  in  an- 
cient Rome,  rising  on  the  very  ground  which  derives  its 
consecration  from  him.  And  still  more  than  the  grandeur 
of  the  outward  buildings  that  rose  from  the  little  church  of 
St.  Augustine,  and  the  little  palace  of  Ethelbert,  have  been 
the  institutions  of  all  kinds,  of  which  these  are  the  earliest 
cradle.  From  Canterbury,  the  first  English  Christian  city 
— from  Kent,  the  first  English  Christian  kingdom — has,  by 
degrees,  arisen  the  whole  constitution  of  Church  and  State 


2  CANTERBURY 

<n  England,  which  now  binds  together  the  whole  British 
Empire."— (A.  P.  S.) 


This  great  Cathedral  stands  on  the  site  of  the 
primitive  Roman,  or  British,  Church,  attributed 
to  King  Lucius  and  granted  by  Ethelbert,t  King  of 
Kent,  to  St.  Augustine  (who  had  converted  him 
in  597).  It  is,  therefore,  the  earliest  monument 
of  the  English  union  of  Church  and  State,  and  the 
cradle  of  English  Christianity.  Pope  Gregory  had 
intended  to  fix  the  Primacy  in  London  and  York 
alternately;  but  the  sentiment  of  St.  Augustine's 
landing,  in  Kent  prevailed;  and,  therefore,  the 
Archbishop  of  Canterbury,  the  See  of  which  was 
founded  in  597,  is  still  Primate  of  England.  He 
crowns  the  King  and  ranks  next  to  royalty. 

The  first  Cathedral  was  injured  by  the  Danes  in 
ion  and  it  was  burned  down  during  the  Norman 
Conquest  in  1067.  Lanfranc,  the  first  Archbishop 
after  the  Conquest  (1070-1089),  reconstructed 
both  church  and  monastery  from  their  foundations. 
Anselm  (1093-1109),  took  down  the  eastern  part 
of  the  church  and  reerected  it  with  far  greater 
magnificence.  Ernulf,  Prior  of  the  monastery,  was 
responsible  for  the  architecture;  but  the  chancel 
being  finished  by  his  successor,  Prior  Conrad,  and 
beautifully  decorated,  became  known  as  the  "  glo- 
rious Choir  of  Conrad."  Canterbury  Cathedral  was 
dedicated  by  Archbishop  William  in  1130.  Henry 
I.,  King  of  England,  David,  King  of  Scotland,  and 
all  the  Bishops  of  England  were  present  at  what 
Gervase  calls  "  the  most  famous  dedication  that 
had  ever  been  heard  of  on  the  earth  since  that  of 
the  temple  of  Solomon/'  In  1170,  Thomas  a  Becket 
was  murdered  here,  having  fled  for  protection  to 


CANTERBURY  3 

the  church  after  a  violent  scene  in  his  chamber  with 
Henry's  knights.  Becket  was  buried  at  the  east  end 
of  the  Crypt  and  remained  there  forty-six  years. 

"  Most  men  were  persuaded  that  a  new  burst  of  miracu- 
lous powers,  such  as  had  been  suspended  for  many  gen- 
erations, had  broken  out  at  the  tomb ;  and  the  contemporary 
monk,  Benedict,  fills  a  volume  with  extraordinary  cures, 
wrought  within  a  very  few  years  after  the  '  Martyrdom.' 
Far  and  wide  the  fame  of  '  St.  Thomas  of  Canterbury ' 
spread.  The  very  name  of  Christ  Church,  or  of  the  Holy 
Trinity,  by  which  the  Cathedral  was  properly  designated, 
was  in  popular  usage  merged  in  that  of  The  Church  of 
St.  Thomas.  For  the  few  years  immediately  succeeding 
his  death  there  was  no  regular  shrine.  The  popular  en- 
thusiasm still  clung  to  the  two  spots  immediately  con- 
nected with  the  murder.  The  Transept  in  which  he  died, 
within  five  years  from  that  time  acquired  the  name 
by  which  it  has  ever  since  been  known,  '  The  Martyrdom.' 
The  flagstone  on  which  his  skull  was  fractured  and  the 
solid  corner  of  the  masonry  in  front  of  which  he  fell, 
are  probably  the  only  parts  which  remain  unchanged. 
But  against  that  corner  may  still  be  seen  the  marks  of 
the  space  occupied  by  a  wooden  altar,  which  continued 
in  its  original  simplicity  through  all  the  subsequent  mag- 
nificence of  the  church  till  the  time  of  the  Reformation. 
It  was  probatyy  the  identical  memorial  erected  in  the 
first  haste  of  enthusiasm  after  the  reopening  of  the 
Cathedral  for  worship  in  1172.  It  was  called  the  Altar 
of  the  Martyrdom  or  more  commonly  the  Altar  of  the 
Sword's  Point  (Altar e  ad  Punctum  Ensis)  from  the  cir- 
cumstance that  in  a  wooden  shed  placed  upon  it  was  pre- 
served the  fragment  of  Le  Bret's  sword,  which  had  been 
left  on  the  pavement  after  accomplishing  its  bloody  work. 
Under  a  piece  of  rock  crystal  surmounting  the  chest,  was 
kept  a  portion  of  the  brains.  To  this  altar  a  regular 
keeper  was  appointed  from  among  the  monks,  under  the 
name  of  '  Custos  Martyrii.'  In  the  first  frenzy  of  desire 
for  relics  of  St.  Thomas,  even  this  guarantee  was  in- 
adequate. 

"  Next  to  the  actual  scene  of  the  murder,  the  object  which 
this  event  invested  with  especial  sanctity  was  the  tomb 


4  CANTERBURY 

in  which  his  remains  were  deposited  in  the  Crypt  behind 
the  Altar  of  the  Virgin.  It  was  to  this  spot  that  the 
first  great  rush  of  pilgrims  was  made  when  the  church 
was  reopened  in  1172,  and  it  was  here  that  Henry  per- 
formed his  penance.  Hither  on  the  2ist  of  August,  1179, 
came  the  first  King  of  France  who  ever  set  foot  on  the 
shores  of  England,  Louis  VII.,  warned  by  St.  Thomas  in 
dreams,  and,  afterwards,  as  he  believed,  receiving  his  son 
back  from  a  dangerous  illness  through  the  Saint's  inter- 
cession. He  knelt  by  the  tomb  and  offered  upon  it  the 
celebrated  jewel,*  as  also  his  own  rich  cup  of  gold." 
-(A.  P.  S.) 

In  1174  a  fire  destroyed  "Conrad's  Glorious 
Choir."  Rebuilding  was  immediately  begun  un- 
der a  French  architect,  William  of  Sens,  who  fell 
from  a  scaffolding  and  had  to  relinquish  the  work 
to  another  William,  who  completed  the  Choir  and 
eastern  buildings  in  1184. 

Everything  was  now  in  readiness  for  the  re- 
moval of  the  Martyr's  remains.  Stephen  Langton 
gave  two  years'  notice  of  the  intended  "  Transla- 
tion " ;  and  a  marvellous  assemblage  gathered  from 
all  parts  of  Europe  on  July  7,  1220.  The  Arch- 
bishop opened  the  tomb  the  night  before  the  coffin 
was  carried  to  the  Shrine  above  in  Trinity  Chapel, 
and  the  "  Vigil  of  the  Translation,"  July  6,  was 
kept  in  the  English  church  until  1537.  The  great 
procession  to  the  Shrine  was  led  by  Henry  III., 
then  aged  thirteen.  Pilgrims  came  to  the  new  Shrine, 
as  they  had  done  to  the  one  below,  in  thousands. 
Seven  great  "jubilees"  were  held  before  1530. 

*The  Regale  of  France,  the  glory  of  the  Shrine,  was 
long  worn  by  Henry  himself  in  the  ring  which  after  the 
manner  of  those  times  encircled  his  enormous  thumb. 
It  last  appears  in  history  among  the  "  diamonds  "  of  the 
golden  collar  of  his  daughter,  Queen  Mary. 


CANTERBURY  5 

"  The  outer  aspect  of  the  Cathedral  can  be  imagined 
without  much  difficulty.  A  wide  cemetery,  which,  with 
its  numerous  gravestones,  such  as  that  on  the  south  side 
of  Petersborough  Cathedral,  occupied  the  vacant  space 
still  called  the  Churchyard,  divided  from  the  garden  be- 
yond by  the  old  Norman  arch  since  removed  to  a  more 
convenient  spot.  In  the  cemetery  were  interred  such  pil- 
grims as  died  during  their  stay  in  Canterbury.  The 
external  aspect  of  the  Cathedral  itself,  with  the  exception 
of  the  numerous  statues  which  then  rilled  its  now  vacant 
niches,  must  have  been  much  what  it  is  now.  Not  so  its 
interior.  Bright  colours  on  the  roof,  on  the  windows,  on 
the  monuments;  hangings  suspended  from  the  rods  which 
may  still  be  seen  running  from  pillar  to  pillar;  chapels 
and  altars,  and  chantries  intercepting  the  view,  where  now 
all  is  clear,  must  have  rendered  it  so  different,  that  at 
first  we  should  hardly  recognise  it  to  be  the  same  build- 
ing."—(A.  P.  S.) 

At  the  church  door  the  company  of  pilgrims  ar- 
ranged themselves  "  every  one  after  his  degree/' 
and  a  monk  sprinkled  their  heads  with  holy  water 
with  the  "  Sprengel."  The  great  tide  of  pilgrims 
then  passed  through  the  Cathedral.  Sometimes 
they  paid  their  devotions  to  the  Shrine  first,  and 
sometimes  they  visited  the  lesser  objects  first  and 
the  Shrine  last.  In  this  case,  they  entered  the 
Transept  of  the  Martyrdom,  through  the  dark  pas- 
sage under  the  steps  leading  to  the  Choir.  Before 
the  wooden  altar  and  in  the  soft  radiance  of  the 
glorious  representation  of  the  Martyr  in  the  tran- 
sept window  (of  which  there  remains  only  the 
central  band  with  the  donors,  Edward  IV.,  his 
Queen,  with  their  daughters  and  the  two  sons  who 
perished  in  the  Tower),  while  the  priest  showed 
them  the  relics  of  which  he  had  charge,  including 
the  rusty  fragment  of  Le  Bret's  sword,  which  all 
kissed  in  turn.  Proceeding  down  the  steps  on  the 


6  CANTERBURY 

way  to  the  Crypt,  new  guardians  exhibited  in  the 
dim  light  of  a  row  of  lamps  suspended  from  rings 
in  the  roof,  the  actual  relics  of  St.  Thomas, — part 
of  his  skull  cased  in  silver,  which  all  kissed  de- 
voutly, and  his  shirt  and  drawers  of  haircloth. 

Mounting  the  steps  of  the  Choir,  the  pilgrims 
were  then  shown  the  great  array  of  about  four 
hundred  relics  preserved  in  ivory,  gilt  or  silver 
coffers,  including  the  arm  of  St.  George.  And 
now,  passing  behind  the  altar  and  up  the  steps, 
which  many  ascended  on  their  knees,  chanting  the 
hymn  to  St.  Thomas,  they  entered  Trinity  Chapel. 
They  were  first  led  beyond  the  Shrine  to  the  east- 
ernmost apse  to  see  a  golden  head  of  the  Saint 
studded  with  gems,  in  which  the  scalp  or  crown  of 
the  Saint  was  preserved. 

"The  Shrine  occupied  the  central  part  of  the  upper 
platform,  and  the  extent  of  the  railed  space  round  it  may 
be  readily  perceived  by  examining  the  floor  on  which  the 
depression  made  by  the  feet  of  the  pilgrims  is  plainly  vis- 
ible. The  pavement  inside  this  limit  is  composed  of  the 
original  steps  and  platform  of  the  Shrine,  and  consists  in 
part  of  rich  African  marbles,  as  do  also  two  whole  pillars 
to  north  and  south,  and  two  half  pillars  to  the  east. 
These  are  said  to  have  been  the  gift  of  a  Pope  to  the 
Shrine,  and,  indeed,  to  have  once  formed  part  of  a  Roman 
Temple.  The  Shrine  itself  was  simply  the  coffin  of  the 
Saint,  richly  adorned  and  cased  with  gold  ^  and  precious 
stones.  It  rested  on  a  structure  of  stone  arches  some 
five  or  six  feet  high,  and  was,  as  a  rule,  concealed  under 
a  wooden  cover,  working  on  pulleys,  like  many  covers  of 
fonts  in  our  churches  now.  When  raised  the  cover  would 
reveal  to  the  venerating  gaze  of  the  pilgrims,  plates  of 
precious  metal  studded  with  jewels  of  fabulous  value, 
the  most  remarkable  of  which  would  be  pointed  out  by 
the  attendant  with  a  white  wand.  When  the  Shrine  was 
destroyed,  by  order  of  Henry  VIII.,  these  treasures  filled 
two  great  chests  '  such  as  six  or  seven  strong  men  could 


CANTERBURY  7 

no  more  than  convey  one  of  them  out  of  the  church.'  West 
of  the  Shrine  stood  an  altar,  and  west  of  the  altar  a  gate 
in  the  railings,  in  fact  just  between  the  altar  and  the  beauti- 
ful fragment  of  Italian  marble  pavement." — (F.  and  R.) 

We  can  imagine  the  long  line  of  kneeling  pil- 
grims and  those  who  were  allowed  behind  the  iron 
gates  rubbing  themselves  against  the  marble,  so 
that  the  wonder-working  body  within  could  effect 
a  cure  in  anticipation  of  the  moment  when  the 
wooden  canopy  would  be  lifted. 

"  At  a  given  signal  this  canopy  was  drawn  up  by  ropes, 
and  the  Shrine  then  appeared  blazing  with  gold  and 
jewels;  the  wooden  sides  were  plated  with  gold  and 
damasked  with  gold  wire;  cramped  together  on  this 
gold  ground  were  innumerable  jewels,  pearls,  sapphires, 
blassas,  diamonds,  rubies  and  emeralds,  and  '  in  the 
midst  of  the  gold '  rings  or  cameos  of  sculptured  agates, 
cornelians  and  onyx  stones. 

"  As  soon  as  this  magnificent  sight  was  disclosed,  every 
one  dropped  on  his  knees,  and  probably  the  tinkling  of 
the  silver  bells  attached  to  the  canopy  would  indicate  the 
moment  to  all  the  hundreds  of  pilgrims  in  whatever  part 
of  the  Cathedral  they  might  be.  The  body  of  the  Saint 
in  the  inner  iron  chest  was  not  to  be  seen  except  by 
mounting  a  ladder,  which  would  be  but  rarely  allowed. 
But  whilst  the  votaries  knelt  around,  the  Prior,  or  some 
other  great  officer  of  the  monastery,  came  forward,  and 
with  a  white  wand  touched  the  several  jewels,  naming  the 
giver  of  each,  and  for  the  benefit  of  foreigners,  adding 
the  French  name  of  each,  with  a  description  of  its  value 
and  marvellous  qualities.  A  complete  list  of  them  has 
been  preserved  to  us,  curious,  but  devoid  of  general  inter- 
est. There  was  one,  however,  which  far  outshone  the  rest, 
and  indeed  was  supposed  to  be  the  finest  in  Europe.  It 
was  the  great  carbuncle,  ruby,  or  diamond,  said  to  be  as 
large  as  a  hen's  egg  or  a  thumb-nail,  and  commonly 
called  '  The  Regale  of  France.'  The  attention  of  the 
spectators  was  riveted  by  the  figure  of  an  angel  pointing 
to  it.  It  had  been  given  to  the  original  tomb  in  the 


8  CANTERBURY 

Crypt  by   Louis   VII.   of   France,   when   here   on   his   pil- 
grimage.* 

"  The  lid  once  more  descended  on  the  golden  ark ;  the 
pilgrims 

'  telling  heartily  their  beads 
Prayed  to  St.  Thomas  in  such  wise  as  they  could/ 

and  then  withdrew,  down  the  opposite  flight  of  steps  from 
which  they  had  ascended." — (A.  P.  S.) 

Next  the  pilgrims  received  the  small  leaden  bot- 
tles, or  ampulles,  rilled  with  water  mixed  with  the 
Martyr's  blood ;  and  in  the  numerous  booths  and 
stalls  that  lined  Mercery  Lane,  the  narrow  street 
running  from  the  Cathedral  to  the  Chequers  Inn, 
bought  other  memorials  of  the  Pilgrimage,  par- 
ticularly the  leaden  brooches  representing  the  mi- 
tred head  of  the  saint  with  the  legend,  Caput 
Thomcu. 

From  the  middle  of  the  Fourteenth  to  the  end 
of  the  Fifteenth  Century  a  wonder-working  well 
was  shown  to  pilgrims  in  the  Precincts. 

Among  the  great  visitors  to  the  shrine  of  the 
"  holy  blissful  Martyr  "  were  all  the  English  kings 
from  Henry  II.  to  Henry  VIII. ;  Edward  I.  (1299), 
who  presented  the  golden  crown  of  Scotland,  the 
crown  given  by  Edward  to  John  Balliol  and  car- 
ried off  by  him,  but  recaptured  at  Dover ;  Richard 
and  John  of  England ;  Louis  VII.  of  France ;  Isa- 
bella, wife  of  Edward  II. ;  John,  the  captive  king 
of  France;  Henry  V.  on  his  return  from  Agin- 
court;  Emmanuel,  Emperor  of  the  East  in  1400, 
and  Sigismund,  Emperor  of  the  West  in  1417; 
and  great  lords  and  ladies  from  England,  France 
and  Scotland.  The  barons  of  the  Cinque  Ports, 
after  every  coronation,  presented  the  canopies  of 

*  See  page  4. 


CANTERBURY  9 

silk  and  gold  which  they  held  and  still  hold  over 
the  head  of  the  king. 

In  1538  Henry  VIII.  issued  a  writ  of  summons 
against  Thomas  a  Becket  accusing  him  of  treason, 
contumacy  and  rebellion  and  had  the  document 
read  before  the  Martyr's  tomb.  The  suit  was  tried 
in  Westminster,  and  the  long  defunct  Archbishop 
condemned.  His  bones  were  ordered  to  be  burnt 
and  all  his  offerings  handed  over  to  the  Crown. 
Becket's  body,  however,  escaped  burning  and  was 
re-buried.  The  Shrine  was  destroyed  and  all  the 
offerings  of  jewels  and  gold  carried  off.  They 
filled  twenty-six  carts.  Becket  was  deprived  of 
the  name  of  Saint  and  his  images  destroyed 
throughout  the  country. 

Returning  now  to  the  architectural  history  of  the 
Cathedral,  Prior  Chillenden  (1378-1410)  took  down 
Lanfranc's  Nave  and  Transepts.  About  1473 
Prior  Goldstone  II.  added  the  splendid  Angel 
Tower  that  rises  from  the  centre  of  the  roof, 
and  upon  which  the  figure  of  a  golden  angel  wel- 
comed the  pilgrims  to  Canterbury. 

In  1642,  the  Puritans  battered  the  windows, 
hacked  and  hewed  the  altars  and  monuments  and 
committed  ravages  of  all  kinds  under  a  ringleader, 
Richard  Culmer,  known  as  "  Blue  Dick." 

After  the  Restoration,  £  10,000  was  devoted  to 
repairs.  At  a  later  period  the  Choir-stalls,  said  to 
be  carved  by  Grinling  Gibbons,  were  replaced. 

In  1834,  the  northwest  (Arundel)  tower  had  to 
be  pulled  down.  It  was  rebuilt  on  a  different  plan. 

Nothing  of  importance  happened  until  1872, 
when  a  fire  broke  out  on  the  roof  of  Trinity 
Chapel  at  half-past  ten  in  the  morning.  Little 
damage  was  done,  however ;  but  the  Black  Prince's 


io  CANTERBURY 

Tomb  was  in  danger  and  the  relics  above  it  were 
temporarily   removed. 

Canterbury  was  four  centuries  in  building.  It, 
therefore,  exhibits  specimens  of  nearly  all  the 
classes  of  Pointed  Architecture.  It  is  chiefly,  how- 
ever, Transitional  Norman  and  Perpendicular. 

"  The  existing  cathedral,  although'  of  such  various 
dates,  covers,  as  nearly  as  can  be  ascertained,  the  same 
ground  as  the  original  building  of  Lanfranc,  with  the  ex- 
ception of  the  Nave,  which  is  of  greater  length  westward, 
and  of  the  Retro-Choir,  or  extreme  eastern  portion,  which 
is  also  longer."— (R.  J.  K.) 

Passing  the  traditional  site  of  the  Chequers  Inn, 
where  Chaucer's  Pilgrims  were  housed,  we  walk 
up  Mercery  Lane  to  Christ  Church  Gate,  built  by 
Prior  Goldstone  in  1517.  It  is  a  fine  example  of 
late  Perpendicular  and  once  contained  a  figure  of 
Christ  in  the  central  niche. 

This  gate  leads  into  the  Precincts  of  the  Cathe- 
dral. The  close  is  surrounded  by  the  gardens  of 
the  Canons'  houses.  We  now  look  upon  the  beau- 
tiful south  side  of  the  Cathedral. 

"  In  the  immediate  Precincts,  a  delightful  picture  is 
presented  from  the  Green  Court,  which  was  once  the 
main  outer  court  of  the  monastery.  Here  are  noble 
trees  and  beautifully  kept  turf,  at  once  in  perfect  harmony 
and  agreeable  contrast  with  the  rugged  walls  of  the 
weather-beaten  Cathedral :  the  quiet,  soft  colouring  of  the 
ancient  buildings  and  that  look  of  cloistered  seclusion 
only  to  be  found  in  the  peaceful  nooks  of  cathedral 
cities  are  seen  here  at  their  very  best. 

"  The  chief  glory  of  the  exterior  of  Canterbury  Cathe- 
dral is  the  central  Angel,  or  Bell,  Tower.  This  is  one  of 
the  most  perfect  structures  that  Gothic  architecture  in- 
spired by  the  loftiest  purpose  that  ever  stimulated  the 
work  of  any  art,  has  produced.  It  was  completed  by 


CANTERBURY  11 

Prior  Selling,  who  held  office  in  1472,  and  has  been  vari- 
ously called  the  Bell  Harry  Tower  from  the  mighty 
Dunstan  bell,  weighing  three  tons  and  three  hundred- 
weight, and  the  Angel  Tower  from  the  gilded  figure 
of  an  angel  poised  on  one  of  the  pinnacles,  which  has 
long  ago  disappeared.  The  tower  itself  is  of  two  stages, 
with  two-light  windows  in  each  stage;  the  windows  are 
transomed  in  each  face,  and  the  lower  tier  is  canopied; 
each  angle  is  rounded  off  with  an  octagonal  turret;  and 
the  whole  structure  is  a  marvellous  example  of  architec- 
tural harmony  and  in  every  way  a  work  of  transcendent 
beauty/— (H.  W.) 

The  South-west,  or  Chichele,  Tower,  (formerly 
St.  Dunstan's  Tower)  was  completed  by  Prior 
Goldstone  (1449-1468).  It  is  now  the  Bell  Tower. 
The  Northern,  or  Arundel,  steeple  was  rebuilt  by 
Austen  in  1840  in  place  of  the  old  Norman  Tower, 
which  had  become  dangerous. 

"  The  western  towers  are  built  each  of  six  stages :  each 
of  the  two  upper  tiers  contains  two  two-light  windows, 
while  below  there  is  a  large  four-light  window  uniform 
with  the  windows  of  the  aisles.  The  base  tier  is  orna- 
mented with  rich  panelling.  The  parapet  is  battlemented 
and  the  angles  are  finished  with  fine  double  pinnacles.  At 
the  west  end  there  is  a  large  window  of  seven-light 
transoms.  The  gable  contains  a  window  of  very  curious 
shape,  filled  with  intricate  tracery.  The  space  above  the 
aisle  windows  is  ornamented  with  quatrefoiled  squares, 
and  the  clerestory  is  pierced  by  windows  of  three  lights." — 
(H.  W.) 

Above  the  aisle  windows  are  quatrefoiled  squares. 
The  clerestory,  Choir  and  Becket's  Crown  contain 
lancet  windows.  In  the  main  transept  there  is  a 
fine  Perpendicular  window  of  eight  lights. 

The  South  side  of  the  Cathedral  is  the  one  most 
generally  admired. 


12  CANTERBURY 

"On  the  south  side  is  seen  the  porch;  the  nave  (a  beau- 
tiful design)  ;  and  the  charming  pinnacle  of  the  south- 
west transept.  East  of  the  Warrior's  Chapel  is  the  pro- 
jecting end  of  Stephen  Langton's  tomb.  East  of  this, 
the  two  lower  rows  of  windows  are  those  of  Conrad's 
Choir;  the  upper  row  that  of  William  of  Sens.  The 
middle  windows  in  the  south-east  transept  were  the 
clerestory  windows  of  Conrad;  the  windows  above  them 
are  those  of  William  of  Sens.  The  three  upper  stages 
of  the  tower  on  the  south  of  this  transept  are  late  Nor- 
man work;  one  of  the  prettiest  bits  in  Canterbury.  Far- 
ther east  we  have  French  design,  pure  and  simple;  here, 
for  the  first  time  in  English  architecture,  the  flying-but- 
tresses are  openly  displayed;  notice  how  flat  and  plain 
they  are;  it  had  not  yet  occurred  to  architects  to  make 
them  decorative.  The  grand  sweep  of  apse  and  ambulatory 
seems  to  send  one  straight  back  to  France.  Then  comes 
the  broken  rocky  outline  of  the  corona — the  great  puzzle 
of  Canterbury.  North-east  of  the  corona  are  two  groups 
of  ruined  Norman  pillars  and  arches  discoloured  by  fire; 
once  they  were  continuous,  forming  one  very  long  build- 
ing, the  Monk's  Infirmary,  of  which  the  west  end  was 
originally  an  open  dormitory,  open  to  the  roof,  and  the 
east  end,  separated  off  by  a  screen,  the  Chapel ;  which  has 
a  late  Geometrical  window.  On  the  north  side  of  Trinity 
Chapel  is  seen  the  Chantry  of  Henry  IV. ;  then  St.  An- 
drew's Tower  and  the  barred  Treasury;  the  lower  part  of 
the  latter  is  late  Norman  work,  largely  rebuilt." — (F.  B.) 

The  Porch  on  the  south  side  of  Chichele  Tower 
is  the  work  of  Prior  Chillenden.  It  has  a  central 
niche  on  which  the  Martyrdom  of  Becket  was  rep- 
resented on  a  panel  of  the  Fifteenth  Century.  The 
niches  are  filled  with  statues.  Through  it  we  now 
pass  into  the  Cathedral. 

The  Nave  (Perpendicular)  resembles  the  bolder 
nave  of  Winchester,  built  at  the  same  period.  The 
most  striking  feature  is  the  manner  in  which  the 
Choir  is  raised  above  the  level  of  the  floor,  owing 
to  the  fact  that  it  stands  over  the  crypt.  The 


w 

u 


o 
en 


g 


H 
fc 


CANTERBURY  13 

flight  of  steps  placed  between  the  Nave  and  the 
Choir  adds  to  the  effect. 

"  The  nave,  of  eight  bays,  has  no  triforium.  Each  bay 
consists  of  a  huge  arch  resting  on  filleted  pillars,  and  is 
subdivided  into  the  pier-arch,  with  the  clerestory  and 
panelling  reaching  to  the  string-course  above.  It  is  paved 
with  Portland  stone.  The  vaulting  and  vaulting-shafts 
are  the  prominent  features  of  the  nave,  and  the  pier- 
arches  are  quite  subordinate;  these  shafts  are  banded,  as 
at  Bath,  like  Early  English.  The  main  transept  has  no 
aisles."— (W.  J.  L.) 

Of  the  Nave  windows  none  remain  entire.  The 
great  West  Window  is  made  up  of  fragments  from 
the  others.  It  contains  the  arms  of  Richard  II. 
impaling  the  Confessor's;  and  those  of  Anne  of 
Bohemia  (north)  ;  and  Isabella  of  France  (south). 

The  beautifully  carved  Screen  of  solid  stone, 
separating  the  Nave  from  the  Choir,  was  placed 
there  in  the  Fifteenth  Century.  Of  the  six  crowned 
figures  in  the  lower  niches,  the  one  holding  the 
church  is  supposed  to  be  Ethelbert ;  and  the  one  on 
the  extreme  right,  Richard  II.  The  figures  of 
Christ  and  the  Twelve  Apostles,  which  filled  the 
thirteen  mitred  niches  around  the  arch,  were  de- 
stroyed by  "  Blue  Dick  "  and  his  companions.  A 
staircase  leads  to  the  top  of  the  Screen. 

Another  Screen  partly  fills  the  space  between  the 
two  western  piers  of  the  central,  or  Angel,  Tower. 

"  The  piers  which  support  the  central  tower  are  prob- 
ably the  original  piers  of  Lanfranc's  erection,  cased  with 
Perpendicular  work  by  Prior  Chillenden  at  the  same 
time  with  the  building  of  the  nave.  To  this  Prior  Gold- 
stone  II.  (1495-1517)  added  the  vaulting  of  the  tower,  and 
all  the  portion  above  the  roof,  together  with  the  remark- 
able buttressing-arches  supporting  the  piers  below,  which 
had  perhaps  shown  some  signs  of  weakness.  These 


14  CANTERBURY 

arches  have  on  them  the  Prior's  rebus,  a  shield  with  three 
golden  bars,  or  stones.  The  central  arch  occupies  the  place 
of  the  ancient  roodloft,  and  probably  the  great  rood  was 
placed  on  it  until  the  Reformation." — (R.  J.  K.) 

The  Choir  of  five  bays  shows  the  earliest  in- 
stance of  the  Pointed  Arch  in  England  and  groin- 
ing on  a  large  scale.  The  clerestory  of  the  Choir 
is  filled  with  windows  representing  the  genealogy 
of  the  Saviour.  The  carvings  on  the  stalls  are  said 
to  be  by  Grinling  Gibbons. 

In  1096,  Prior  Ernulf  began  a  longer  and  wider 
Choir  than  originally  existed;  and  this  was  dedi- 
cated in  1114,  before  he  left  Canterbury  to  become 
Bishop  of  Rochester.  Prior  Conrad,  his  successor, 
finished  the  decoration  of  it  and  "  the  glorious 
Choir  of  Conrad/'  as  it  was  somewhat  unjustly 
called,  was  consecrated  in  1130.  In  1174  it  was 
destroyed  by  fire  to  the  great  distress  of  every- 
body. All  that  remains  is  a  portion  of  the  pave- 
ment consisting  of  large  slabs  of  "  stone  or  veined 
marble  of  a  delicate  brown  colour,"  between  the 
two  Transepts. 

"  About  four  years  after  the  murder  on  the  5th  of  Sep- 
tember, 1174,  a  fire  broke  out  in  the  Cathedral  which 
reduced  the  Choir — hitherto  its  chief  architectural  glory — 
to  ashes.  The  grief  of  the  people  is  described  in  terms 
which  show  how  closely  the  expression  of  Mediaeval  feel- 
ing resembled  what  can  now  only  be  seen  in  Italy  or  the 
East — 'They  tore  their  hair;  they  beat  the  walls  and 
pavements  of  the  church  with  their  shoulders  and  the 
palms  of  their  hands ;  they  uttered  tremendous  curses 
against  God  and  his  saints — even  to  the  patron  saint 
of  the  church ;  they  wished  they  had  rather  have  died  than 
seen  such  a  day.'  How  far  more  like  the  description  of 
a  Neapolitan  mob  in  disappointment  at  the  slow  liquefac- 
tion of  the  blood  of  St.  Januarius  than  of  the  citizens  of 
a  quiet  cathedral  town  in  the  county  of  Kent!  The 


CANTERBURY  15 

monks,  though  appalled  by  the  calamity  for  a  time,  soon 
recovered  themselves;  workmen  and  architects,  French 
and  English,  were  procured ;  and  among  the  former,  Wil- 
liam, from  the  city  of  Sens,  so  familiar  to  all  Canterbury 
at  that  period  as  the  scene  of  Becket's  exile.  No  ob- 
servant traveller  can  have  seen  the  two  Cathedrals  without 
remarking  how  closely  the  details  of  William's  workman- 
ship at  Canterbury  were  suggested  by  his  recollections  of 
his  own  church  at  Sens,  built  a  short  time  before.  The 
forms  of  the  pillars,  the  vaulting  of  the  roof,  even  the 
very  bars  and  patterns  of  the  windows  are  almost  iden- 
tical. .  .  .  The  French  architect  unfortunately  met  with 
an  accident  which  disabled  him  from  continuing  his  opera- 
tions. After  a  vain  struggle  to  superintend  the  works  by 
being  carried  round  the  church  in  a  litter,  he  was  com- 
pelled to  surrender  the  task  to  a  namesake,  an  English- 
man, and  it  is  to  him  that  we  owe  the  design  of  that  part 
of  the  Cathedral  which  was  destined  to  receive  the  sacred 
Shrine."— (A.  P.  S.) 

"  On  entering  the  choir,  the  visitor  is  immediately  struck 
by  the  singular  bend  with  which  the  walls  approach  each 
other  at  the  eastern  end.  By  this  remarkable  feature,  to- 
gether with  the  great  length  of  the  Choir  (180  feet;  it  is 
the  longest  in  England)  and  the  lowness  of  the  vaulting; 
the  antique  character  of  the  architecture  enforced  by  the 
strongly  contrasted  Purbeck  and  Caen  stone,  and  the  con- 
sequent fine  effects  of  light  and  shadow.  The  style  is 
throughout  Transition,  having  Norman  and  Early  Eng- 
lish characteristics,  curiously  intermixed.  The  pillars 
with  their  pier-arches,  the  clerestory  wall  above  and  the 
great  vault  up  to  the  Transepts,  were  entirely  finished  by 
William  of  Sens.  The  whole  work  differed  greatly  from 
that  of  the  former  choir.  The  richly  foliated  and  varied 
capitals  of  the  pillars,  the  great  vault  with  its  ribs  of 
stone,  and  the  numerous  slender  shafts  of  marble  in  the 
triforia,  were  all  novelties  exciting  the  great  admiration  of 
the  monks."— (R.  J.  K.) 

William  of  Sens,  however,  retained  the  second 
or  Eastern  Transepts,  which  had  existed  in  the 
former  church. 


16  CANTERBURY 

Before  the  Reformation  the  Choir  contained  the 
high  altar  and  the  altar-shrines  of  St.  Alphege  and 
St.  Dunstan.  No  trace  of  the  former  remains; 
but  on  the  south  wall  of  the  Choir,  between  the 
monuments  of  Archbishops  Stratford  and  Sud- 
bury,  there  is  some  diaper-work  of  open  lilies  that 
adorned  St.  Dunstan's  altar. 

The  High  Altar  is  on  a  higher  level  than  the 
floor  of  the  choir.  It  is  approached  by  two  flights 
of  steps  (one  on  either  side)  in  the  Presbytery, 
about  25  feet  higher  than  the  floor  of  the  Nave. 
The  Altar  was  placed  over  the  new  Crypt,  which 
is  a  good  deal  higher  than  the  older,  or  western, 
Crypt.  The  Reredos,  erected  in  1870,  was  de- 
signed in  the  style  of  the  screen-work  in  the  Lady- 
Chapel  in  the  Crypt.  The  crimson  velvet  altar- 
coverings,  now  in  use,  were  presented  by  Queen 
Mary,  wife  of  William  III.,  and  the  gold  chalice  by 
the  Earl  of  Arundell  in  1636.  The  Archbishop's 
Throne,  a  gift  of  Archbishop  Howley  (£1200), 
was  carved  by  Flemish  workmen  from  designs  by 
Austen.  The  stone-pulpit,  by  Butterfield,  was 
erected  in  1846.  The  eagle  used  as  a  Litany  desk 
is  dated  1663. 

The  organ,  built  by  Samuel  Green,  is  believed 
to  be  the  one  used  at  the  Handel  Festival  in  West- 
minster Abbey  in  1784.  It  was  remodelled  in 
1886.  Among  the  tombs  and  monuments  of 
Archbishops  and  Cardinals  are:  Cardinal  Bour- 
chier,  who  crowned  Edward  IV.,  Richard  III. 
and  Henry  VII. ;  Archbishop  Howley,  who 
crowned  Queen  Victoria;  Stratford,  Grand  Judi- 
ciary to  Edward  III. ;  Simon  of  Sudbury,  whose 
head  was  cut  off  during  Wat  Tyler's  rebellion ;  and 
Cardinal  Kemp,  who  was  present  at  Agincourt. 


CANTERBURY  17 

In  the  north  aisle,  in  a  coloured  and  gilt  altar- 
tomb,  lies  Archbishop  Chichele  (died  1443),  ac- 
cording to  Shakespeare,  the  instigator  of  the  war 
with  France  (see  Henry  V.,  Act  I.,  Sc.  I.).  Here 
also  lies  Orlando  Gibbons,  Charles  I.'s  organist. 

Of  the  six  splendid  windows  in  the  north  aisle 
of  the  Choir  described  by  the  old  authorities,  only 
two  remain. 

"They  should  not  be  overlooked  by  the  visitor,  as  they 
are  full  of  curious  symbolism.  The  birth  of  Christ  and 
His  early  life  are  depicted  in  the  central  panels  and  the 
types  from  the  Old  Testament  with  them.  Observe  the 
Magi  all  asleep  in  one  bed;  Shem,  Ham  and  Japhet,  divid- 
ing the  earth,  which  one  of  them  holds  in  his  hands,  like  a 
gorgeously  painted  map;  and  in  the  sixth  panel  of  the 
first  window  a  very  curious  scene,  in  which  we  see 
depicted  a  bronze  idol  or  statue,  similar,  no  doubt,  to  some 
the  artist  had  seen  as  of  Roman  work.  Whoever  he  was 
who  designed  the  work,  he  knew  what  was  classical  art. 
The  exaggerated  muscular  development  which  came  in 
again  under  Michael  Angelo  and  his  contemporaries  in 
Italy,  is  seen  here  quite  plainly." — (W.  J.  L.) 

The  same  fire  that  destroyed  the  Choir  also  dam- 
aged-the  Transepts.  The  windows  and  arcades  in 
them  are  more  completely  reconstructed  than  those 
in  the  side  aisles.  One  feature  here  is  the  double 
range  of  triforia,  or  open  galleries.  The  lower 
triforium  belongs  to  Ernulf 's  time :  the  windows  in 
the  upper  one  were  his  clerestory. 

The  pilgrims  were  usually  conducted  into  the 
North  Transept,  or  Transept  of  the  Martyrdom 
through  the  dark  passage  under  the  choir  steps. 
In  the  west  wall  here,  a  door  opened  into  the 
cloister,  through  which  Becket  passed  to  his  tragic 
death. 


i8  CANTERBURY 

Directly  opposite,  on  the  other  side  of  the  Choir, 
the  Warriors'  Chapel  is  situated. 

The  apse,  approached  by  a  broad  flight  of  steps, 
is  entirely  occupied  by  the  Chapel  of  the  Holy 
Trinity,  which  contained  the  Martyr's  Shrine. 
The  work  here  shows  the  influence  of  the  French. 
From  the  Transept  of  the  Martyrdom  the  pil- 
grims were  conducted  through  the  North  Aisle  of 
the  Choir  on  their  way  to  the  great  Shrine;  and, 
at  the  end  of  the  aisle,  close  to  the  steps  ascending 
to  the  Retro-Choir,  we  find  the  door  of  St. 
Andrew's  Tower.  This  is  part  of  Lanfranc's 
building  and  now  used  as  a  vestry ;  but  it  was  once 
the  sacristy,  where  the  rich  offerings  and  precious 
relics  connected  with  Becket  were  exhibited  to 
privileged  pilgrims. 

The  Retro-Choir  is  reached  by  steep  flights  of 
steps  necessitated  by  the  height  of  the  Crypt  below. 
Up  these  steps  the  pilgrims  climbed  on  their  knees, 
chanting  the  hymn  to  St.  Thomas : 

"Tu  per  Thomae  sanguinem 
Quern  pro  te  impendit, 
Fac  nos  Christo  scandere 
Quo  Thomas  ascendit." 

All  this  part  of  the  Cathedral  is  the  work  of 
English  William,  which  is  lighter,  in  general  char- 
acter, than  that  of  William  of  Sens. 

The  Chapel  of  the  Holy  Trinity  (or  that  of 
St.  Thomas)  occupies  the  central  portion  of  the 
Retro-Choir  between  the  piers  formed  by  double 
columns.  In  the  old  Chapel  of  the  Trinity  (de- 
stroyed by  fire  at  the  same  time  as  Conrad's  Choir ) 
Becket  celebrated  his  first  Mass  as  Archbishop, 


CANTERBURY  19 

His  body  lay  in  the  Crypt  immediately  below  this 
spot. 

"  In  earlier  times  the  easternmost  chapel  had  contained 
an  altar  of  the  Holy  Trinity,  where  Becket  had  been  ac- 
customed to  say  mass.  Partly  for  the  sake  of  preserving 
the  two  old  Norman  towers  of  St.  Anselm  and  St. 
Andrew,  which  stood  on  the  north  and  south  side  of  this 
part  of  the  church — but  chiefly  for  the  sake  of  fitly  uniting 
to  the  church  this  eastern  chapel  on  an  enlarged  scale, 
the  pillars  of  the  choir  were  contracted  with  that  singular 
curve  which  attracts  the  eye  of  every  spectator,  as  Gervase 
foretold  that  it  would,  when,  in  order  to  explain  this 
peculiarity,  he  stated  the  two  aforesaid  reasons.  The 
eastern  end  of  the  Cathedral,  thus  enlarged,  formed,  as 
at  Ely,  a  more  spacious  receptacle  for  the  honoured  re- 
mains ;  the  new  Trinity  Chapel,  reaching  considerably  be- 
yond the  extreme  limit  of  its  predecessor,  and  opening 
beyond  into  a  yet  further  chapel,  popularly  called  Becket's 
Crown.  The  windows  were  duly  filled  with  the  richest 
painted  glass  of  the  period,  and  amongst  those  on  the 
northern  side  may  still  be  traced  elaborate  representations 
of  the  miracles  wrought  at  the  subterranean  tomb,  or  by 
visions  and  intercessions  of  the  mighty  Saint.  High  in 
the  tower  of  St.  Anselm,  on  the  south  side  of  the  destined 
site  of  so  great  a  treasure,  was  prepared — a  usual  accom- 
paniment of  costly  shrines — the  Watching  Chamber.  It 
is  a  rude  apartment  with  a  fireplace  where  the  watcher 
could  warm  himself  during  the  long  winter  nights,  and 
a  narrow  gallery  between  the  pillars,  whence  he  could 
overlook  the  whole  platform  of  the  shrine,  and  at  once 
detect  any  sacrilegious  robber  who  was  attracted  by  the 
immense  treasures  there  collected.  On  the  occasion  of 
fires  the  Shrine  was  additionally  guarded  by  a  troop  of 
fierce  ban-dogs. 

"  When  the  Cathedral  was  thus  duly  prepared,  the  time 
came  for  what,  in  the  language  of  those  days,  was  termed 
the  'Translation'  of  the  relics."— (A.  P.  S.) 

Becket's  body  was  removed  here  on  July  7,  1220 
(See  page  4),  and  remained  the  only  occupant 
of  this  chapel  for  more  than  a  hundred  years. 


20  CANTERBURY 

It  only  proves  in  what  deep  affection  the  Eng- 
lish nation  held  the  Black  Prince  to  have  placed 
his  remains  by  the  side  of  Becket.  His  body  lay 
in  state  in  Westminster  from  June  8,  1376,  to  Sep- 
tember 29;  and  on  the  Feast  of  Michaelmas  it  was 
taken  to  Canterbury,  which  he  had  selected  for  his 
resting-place.  The  procession  from  London  to 
Canterbury  was  magnificent;  and  the  idol  of  the 
nation  was  laid  not  in  the  Crypt,  as  he  had  ex- 
pected, but  in  Trinity  Chapel. 

"  In  this  sacred  spot — believed  at  that  time  to  be  the 
most  sacred  spot  in  England — the  tomb  stood  in  which 
'  alone  in  his  glory,'  the  Prince  was  to  be  deposited,  to 
be  seen  and  admired  by  all  the  countless  pilgrims  who 
crawled  up  the  stone  steps  beneath  it  on  their  way  to  the 
shrine  of  the  saint. 

"  Let  us  turn  to  that  tomb,  and  see  how  it  sums  up  his 
whole  life.  Its  bright  colours  have  long  since  faded,  but 
enough  still  remains  to  show  us  what  it  was  as  it  stood 
after  the  sacred  remains  of  him  had  been  placed  within  it. 
There  he  lies;  no  other  memorial  of  him  exists  in  the 
world  so  authentic.  There  he  lies,  as  he  had  directed,  in 
full  armour,  his  head  resting  on  his  helmet,  his  feet  with 
the  likeness  of  '  the  spurs  he  won '  at  Cressy,  his  hands 
joined  as  in  that  last  prayer  which  he  had  offered  up  on  his 
deathbed.  There  you  can  see  his  fine  face  with  the 
Plantagenet  features,  the  flat  cheeks  and  the  well- 
chiselled  nose,  to  be  traced  perhaps  in  the  effigy  of  his 
father  in  Westminster  Abbey,  and  his  grandfather  in 
Gloucester  Cathedral.  On  his  armour  you  can  still  see  the 
marks  of  the  bright  gilding  with  which  the  figure  was 
covered  from  head  to  foot,  so  as  to  make  it  look  like  an 
image  of  pure  gold.  High  above  are  suspended  the 
brazen  gauntlets,  the  helmet,  with  what  was  once  its  gilded 
leopard-crest,  and  the  wooden  shield,  the  velvet  coat  also, 
embroidered  with  the  arms  of  France  and  England,  now 
tattered  and  colourless,  but  then  blazing  with  blue  and 
scarlet.  There,  too,  still  hangs  the  empty  scabbard  of  the 
sword,  wielded  perhaps  at  his  three  great  battles,  and 


CANTERBURY  21 

which  Oliver  Cromwell,  it  is  said,  carried  away.  On  the 
canopy,  over  the  tomb,  there  is  the  faded  representation- 
painted  after  the  strange  fashion  of  those  times — of  the 
Persons  of  the  Holy  Trinity,  according  to  the  peculiar 
devotion  which  he  had  entertained.  In  the  pillars  you 
can  see  the  hooks  to  which  was  fastened  the  black 
tapestry,  with  its  crimson  border  and  curious  embroidery, 
which  he  directed  in  his  will  should  be  hung  round  his 
tomb  and  the  shrine  of  Becket.  Round  about  the  tomb, 
too,  you  will  see  the  ostrich  feathers,  which,  according 
to  the  old,  but  doubtful  tradition,  we  are  told  he  won  at 
Cressy  from  the  blind  King  of  Bohemia,  who  perished  in 
the  thick  of  the  fight;  and  interwoven  with  them  the  fa- 
mous motto,  with  which  he  used  to  sign  his  name, 
'  Houmout/  '  Ich  diene.'  If,  as  seems  most  likely,  they  are 
German  words,  they  exactly  express  what  we  have  seen  so 
often  in  his  life,  the  union  of  Hoch  muth  that  is  high 
spirit,  with  Ich  dien,  I  serve.  They  bring  before  us  the 
very  scene  itself  after  the  battle  of  Poitiers,  where,  after 
having  vanquished  the  whole  French  nation,  he  stood  be- 
hind the  captive  king,  and  served  him  like  an  attendant. 
"  And,  lastly,  carved  about  the  tomb,  is  the  long  inscrip- 
tion, selected  by  himself  before  his  death,  in  Norman 
French,  and  still  the  language  of  the  court,  written,  as  he 
begged,  clearly  and  plainly,  that  all  might  read  it.  Its 
purport  is  to  contrast  his  former  splendour  and  vigour 
and  beauty  with  the  wasted  body  which  is  now  all  that  is 
left"— (A.  P.  S.) 

The  Black  Prince's  effigy  of  brass  was  once 
entirely  gilt.  Round  the  tomb  are  escutcheons  of 
arms,  and  on  the  canopy  there  is  a  representation 
of  the  Holy  Trinity  with  emblems  of  the  Evange- 
lists at  the  corners. 

At  the  foot  of  the  Black  Prince's  Tomb  is  the 
monument  of  Archbishop  Court enay  (1381-1396), 
the  great  opponent  of  the  Wycliffites ;  and  directly 
opposite  is  the  Tomb  of  Henry  IV.  and  his  Queen, 
Joan  of  Navarre,  whose  effigies  lie  under  a  most 
elaborate  and  beautiful  canopy. 


22  CANTERBURY 

"  In  spite  of  some  damage  they  remain  the  most  inter- 
esting representations,  not  onfy  of  the  costume  of  the 
time,  but  also,  we  cannot  doubt,  of  the  actual  features 
of  the  persons.  When  the  tomb  was  opened  some  time 
ago  the  features  of  the  king  were  seen  for  a  moment  and 
corresponded  closely  with  the  representation  on  the  tomb. 
The  figures  at  the  foot  of  the  Queen,  known  in  heraldry 
as  genets,  and  to  the  ordinary  person  perhaps  as  weasels, 
appear  also  in  the  canopy  combined  with  eagles  and  the 
motto  '  Soverayne  and  Atemperance/  The  defaced  paint- 
ing on  wood  at  the  foot  of  the  tomb  represented  the 
Martyrdom  of  St.  Thomas/'—  (F.  and  R.) 

Adjoining  this  tomb  is  the  Chapel  of  Henry 
IV.'s  Chantry,  built,  as  directed  in  the  will  of 
King  Henry,  who  died  in  1413,  "  a  chauntrie  per- 
petual with  twey  prestis  for  to  sing  and  pray  for 
my  soul."  It  contains  the  first  example  in  Can- 
terbury of  the  "  fan-vaulting/'  so  splendidly  repre- 
sented in  the  Dean's  Chapel. 

The  windows  here  and  in  the  Corona  should  be 
studied. 

"They  are  of  the  Thirteenth  Century,  and  among  the 
finest  of  this  date  in  Europe,  excelling  in  many  respects 
those  of  Bourges,  Troyes  and  Chartres ;  '  for  excellence 
of  drawing,  harmony  of  colouring  and  purity  of  design 
they  are  justly  considered  unequalled.  The  skill  with 
which  the  minute  figures  are  represented,  cannot  even  at 
this  day  be  surpassed'  .(Stanley).  Remark  especially  the 
great  value  given  to  the  brilliant  colours  by  the  profusion 
of  white  and  neutral  tints.  The  scrolls  and  borders  sur- 
rounding the  medallions  are  also  of  beauty. 

"  The  three  windows  remaining  in  the  aisles  surround- 
ing the  Trinity  Chapel  are  entirely  devoted,  as  were  all 
the  rest,  to  the  miracles  of  Becket,  which  commenced  im- 
mediately on  the  death  of  the  great  martyr.  The  miracles 
represented  in  the  medallions  'are  of  various  characters. 
The  Lucerna  Anglise,  a  true  St.  Thomas  of  Kandelberg,  as 
the  Germans  called  him,  restores  sight  to  the  blind.  Loss 
of  smell  is  recovered  at  the  shrine  of  this  Arbor  Aro- 


CANTERBURY  23 

matica.  Frequently  he  assists  sailors,  the  rude  crews  of  the 
Cinque  Ports  in  his  own  immediate  neighbourhood.  At  the 
Norway  fishing  his  figure  came  gliding  over  the  seas  in  the 
dusk,  and  descended,  burning  like  fire,  to  the  imperilled 
ships  of  the  Crusaders.  In  the  window  toward  the  east,  on 
the  north  of  the  Shrine,  is  represented  a  remarkable 
series  of  miracles,  occurring  in  the  household  of  a  knight 
named  Jordan,  son  of  Eisulf,  whose  son  is  restored  to 
life  by  the  water  from  St.  Thomas's  well,  which,  mixed 
with  his  blood,  was  always  carried  off  by  the  pilgrims. 
The  father  vows  an  offering  to  the  martyr  before  Mid- 
Lent.  This  is  neglected ;  the  whole  household  again  suffer, 
and  the  son  dies  once  more.  The  knight  and  his  wife, 
both  sick,  drag  themselves  to  Canterbury,  perform  their 
vow  and  the  son  is  finally  restored.  On  a  medallion  in 
one  of  the  windows  on  the  north  side  is  a  representation 
of  Becket's  Shrine,  with  the  martyr  issuing  from  it  in 
full  pontificals  to  say  Mass  at  the  altar." — (R.  J.  K.) 

At  the  extreme  east  end,  just  behind  Trinity 
Chapel,  is  the  circular  apse  called  Becket's  Crown, 
or  the  Corona.  On  the  north  side  lies  Cardinal 
Pole,  Bloody  Mary's  cousin,  who  died  the  day  after 
she  did. 

"The  great  lightness  and  beauty  of  the  Corona,  the 
extreme  east  end  of  the  Cathedral,  are  remarkable.  It  is 
English  William's  work.  When  Archbishop  Anselm  was 
at  Rome  in  the  early  part  of  his  episcopate  and  attending 
a  council  in  the  Lateran,  a  question  arose  as  to  his  proper 
place,  since  no  Archbishop  of  Canterbury  had  as  yet  been 
present  at  a  Roman  council.  Pope  Pascal  II.  decided  it  by 
assigning  to  the  '  alter  ius  orbis  papa'  a  seat  in  the 
'  corona,'  the  most  honourable  position.  It  is  possible  that 
this  fact  may  have  led  the  architects,  on  the  rebuilding  of 
the  choir,  to  make  the  addition  of  an  eastern  apse,  or 
corona,  which  did  not  exist  in  the  earlier  church.  In  it 
were  the  shrines  of  Archbishop  Odo  and  Wilfrid  of  York, 
and  a  golden  reliquary  in  the  form  of  a  head,  containing 
some  relic  of  Becket,  perhaps  the  severed  scalp.  By  a 
confusion  of  its  proper  name  with  this  relic  the  eastern 
apse  came  to  be  generally  known  as  Becket's  Crown,  On 


24  CANTERBURY 

the  north  side  is  the  tomb  of  Cardinal  Pole,  Queen  Mary's 
Archbishop  (1556-1558)  and  the  last  Archbishop  buried  at 
Canterbury.  His  royal  blood  gave  him  a  title  to  so  dis- 
tinguished a  place  of  sepulture." — (R.  J.  K.) 

From  here  one  gains  the  best  view  of  the  Cathe- 
dral as  a  whole.  Canterbury  is  one  of  the  longest 
of  cathedrals  (514  feet). 

The  central  window  (Thirteenth  Century)  in 
Becket's  Crown  is  very  ornate. 

"  It  is  very  complete  and  an  admirable  example  of  the 
intricate  symbolism  of  the  time.  The  subjects  are  arranged 
in  three  quatref  oils  and  two  lozenges :  the  Crucifixion 
occupying  a  square  panel  at  the  foot,  surrounded  by 
representations  of  the  spies  carrying  the  great  bunch  of 
grapes;  of  Moses  striking  the  rock;  of  the  sacrifice  of  a 
lamb  in  the  Temple,  and  of  Abraham  offering  up  Isaac 
on  Mount  Moriah.  Next  above  is  a  lozenge-shaped  panel, 
painted  with  the  Entombment,  adjoining  which  we  have 
Joseph's  brethren  putting  him  in  the  pit;  Samson  shorn 
in  his  sleep  by  Delilah ;  Daniel  in  a  walled  city,  labelled 
Babilonia,  and  Jonah  let  down  into  the  jaws  of  the  whale 
by  two  men  in  a  ship.  Above  these  scenes  is  a  quatrefoil, 
in  the  centre  of  which  we  see  the  Resurrection,  surrounded 
by  representations  of  Moses  and  the  burning  bush;  Noah 
in  the  Ark;  Rahab  letting  the  spies  down  by  the  wall,  and 
Jonah  landing  near  Nineveh  from  the  mouth  of  a  great 
whale.  Then  another  lozenge  represents  the  Ascension  and 
the  scenes  surrounding  it  are  the  Ark  of  the  Mercy-Seat; 
Elijah  ascending  in  a  chariot  of  fire;  the  burial  of  Moses, 
and  Hezekiah  sick,  while  an  angel  gives  him  the  sign  of 
the  shadow  on  the  dial  of  Ahaz.  The  last  of  the  series  is 
at  the  top.  In  a  square  panel  we  see  the  great  event  of 
the  Day  of  Pentecost.  Above  it  Christ  sits  enthroned  in 
glory.  Moses  receiving  the  Two  Tables  of  the  Law  is 
below.  On  one  side  is  the  first  ordination  of  deacons, 
and  on  the  other  the  descent  of  the  Holy  Spirit  on  the 
disciples.  The  whole  style  of  this  window  is  later  than 
that  of  the  Becket  series."— (W.  J.  L.) 


o 

a 
u 


U 


V1' 


H 

fc 

§ 


a 

a 

a 

u 

o 


CANTERBURY  25 

Passing  west,  down  the  steps  worn  by  the  pious 
pilgrims  we  reach  St.  Anselm's  Tower  and 
Chapel.  Anselm's  Tower  (like  St.  Andrew's  op- 
posite) is  Prior  Ernulf's  work.  The  elaborate 
south  window  (1336)  is  Decorated  of  five  lights. 

St.  Anselm's  Tower  is  entered  through  splendid 
gates  of  ancient  wrought  iron. 

At  the  east  end  behind  the  Altar  of  SS.  Peter 
and  Paul,  the  great  Anselm  (1093-1109)  was 
buried.  Over  the  chapel  is  a  small  room  with  a 
window  looking  into  the  Cathedral.  This  was  the 
Watching  Chamber,  in  which,  as  we  have  seen, 
a  monk  was  stationed  at  night  to  keep  watch  over 
the  Shrine  of  St.  Thomas.  There  is  a  tradi- 
tion that  King  John  of  France  was  imprisoned 
here. 

We  now  reach  the  South-east  Transept,  the 
work  of  both  William  of  Sens  and  English  William 
on  Ernulf's  walls. 

At  the  corner  of  the  South-west  choir-aisle 
architects  love  to  notice  the  round  arch  and  double 
zigzag  of  the  Norman  style  fitted  into  the  Pointed 
Arch  and  dogtooth  of  the  restoration  of  1180. 
Under  the  windows  are  the  tomb  of  Archbishop 
Reynolds  and  the  monument  to  Hubert  Walter, 
the  latter  the  warrior-prelate  and  Crusader  who 
kept  the  Realm  for  Richard  Coeur  de  Lion  and 
raised  the  ransom  for  his  release. 

The  steps  leading  down  into  the  great  South 
Transept  are  similar  to  those  of  the  opposite  Tran- 
sept of  the  Martyrdom. 

Opening  east  from  this  Transept  is  St.  Mich- 
ael's, or  The  Warriors'  Chapel,  so  named  because 
of  the  martial  monuments  and  tombs  contained 
in  it. 


26  CANTERBURY 

The  famous  East  Kent  Regiment  "  The  Buffs" 
place  their  memorials  here.  This  Chapel  is  par- 
ticularly notable  for  containing  the  tomb  of 
Stephen  Langton,  the  author  of  the  Magna  Charta, 
which  is  of  earlier  date  than  the  chapel.  A  very 
beautiful  alabaster  monument  of  Lady  Margaret 
Holland  with  her  two  husbands,  John  Beaufort, 
son  of  John  of  Gaunt,  and  the  Duke  of  Clarence, 
son  of  Henry  IV.,  beautifully  represents  the 
armour  and  dress  of  the  Fifteenth  Century. 

The  Warriors'  Chapel  is  Perpendicular  (about 
1370),  with  a  complex  lierne  vault.  The  architect 
is  unknown. 

Directly  opposite,  on  the  other  side  of  the  Choir, 
is  the  Transept  of  the  Martyrdom.  Here  was 
erected  a  wooden  altar  to  the  Virgin,  where  a 
portion  of  the  Martyr's  brains  were  exhibited  under 
a  piece  of  rock-crystal  and  fragments  of  Le  Bret's 
sword. 

Before  this  altar  Edward  I.  was  married  to 
Queen  Margaret  in  1299.  A  rude  representation 
of  the  altar  may  be  seen  over  the  south-west  door 
of  the  Cathedral. 

Returning  to  the  North-west  Transept,  we 
visit  the  scene  of  the  Martyrdom  which  took  place 
near  St.  Benedict's  apsidal  chapel  (now  occupied 
by  the  Dean's  Chapel)  Dec.  29,  1170,  during  ves- 
pers. The  west  door  from  the  cloisters  by  which 
Becket  entered  and  the  pavement  by  the  wall, 
where  he  fell,  remain.  He  was  mounting  the  stairs 
to  the  north  aisle  (now  removed)  when  the  knights 
attacked  him. 

We  have  already  noticed  the  great  Window  here, 
which  was  the  gift,  in  1465,  of  Edward  IV.  and  his 
Queen,  whose 


CANTERBURY  27 

"  figures  still  remain  in  it,  together  with  those  of  his  daugh- 
ters and  of  the  two  Princes  murdered  in  the  Tower.  The 
'  remarkably  soft  and  silvery  appearance '  of  this  window 
has  been  noticed  by  Mr.  Winston.  In  its  original  state  the 
Virgin  was  pictured  in  it  '  in  seven  several  glorious  ap- 
pearances '  and  in  the  centre  was  Becket  himself  at  full 
length,  robed  and  mitred.  This  part  was  demolished 
in  1642  by  Richard  Culmer,  called  Blue  Dick,  the  great 
iconoclast  of  Canterbury,  who  '  rattled  down  proud 
Becket's  glassie  bones '  with  a  pike,  and  who,  when  thus 
engaged,  narrowly  escaped  martyrdom  himself  at  the  hands 
of  a  malignant  fellow-townsman." — (R.  J.  K.) 

In  this  transept  stands  the  monument  of  Arch- 
bishop Peckham  (1279-1292)  with  his  effigy  in 
Irish  oak.  This  is  the  earliest  complete  monu- 
ment in  the  Cathedral. 

We  now  pass  into  the  Dean's  Chapel,  occupying 
the  site  of  St.  Benedict's  Chapel.  It  was  formerly 
the  Lady-Chapel,  built  by  Prior  Goldstone  in  1460 
and  dedicated  to  the  Virgin.  The  beautiful  fan- 
vault  is  similar  to  that  in  Henry  VII.'s  Chapel  in 
Westminster  Abbey  and  to  the  roof  of  the  stair- 
case leading  to  the  dining-hall  of  Christ  Church 
College,  Oxford.  The  Dean's  Chapel  received  its 
present  name  from  the  number  of  tombs  and 
monuments  to  deans  here,  one  of  the  most  curi- 
ous of  which  is  that  of  Dean  Boys,  who  died  in 
1625.  He  is  represented  as  he  was  found  dead  in 
his  Library,  and  the  arrangement  of  the  books  with 
the  edges  turned  outward  from  the  shelves  strikes 
every  one  as  singular. 

Archbishop  Warham,  the  last  Archbishop  be- 
fore the  Reformation,  also  lies  here,  his  heavy  tomb 
in  great  contrast  to  that  of  Archbishop  Peckham, 
already  mentioned,  near  it, — good  examples  of  the 
styles  between  1292  and  1533. 


28  CANTERBURY 

The  East  Window  is  also  notable. 

"  The  figures  of  Dean  Neville  and  his  brother,  against 
the  eastern  wall,  were  transferred  to  this  place  on  the 
destruction  of  the  chapel  which  formerly  projected  from 
the  south  side  of  the  nave,  and  of  which  the  marks  in  the 
wall  are  clearly  visible.  In  the  east  window  some  points 
may  be  noted.  We  see  the  Neville  arms,  and  a  red  shield 
with  white  saltire,  and  also  the  elaborate  Bouchier  arms, 
the  most  distinguishable  features  of  which  are  the  water 
'  budgets/  two  curious  red  skins  joined  together  at  the 
top,  sometimes  given  as  an  honourable  blazon  to  those 
who  supplied  an  army  with  water.  We  also  see  the 
Bouchier  knot  alternating  in  most  of  the  panes  with  the 
oak  leaf  and  acorn.  This  is  the  mark  of  Woodstock." — 
(F.  and  R.) 

A  door  here  leads  into  the  Great  Cloister. 

Opposite  to  St.  Anselm's,  St.  Andrew's  Chapel, 
now  used  as  the  Choir  Vestry,  contains  interesting 
remains  of  coloured  decorations.  In  olden  days 
St.  Andrew's  was  a  sacristy,  where,  as  we  have 
seen,  were  kept  the  very  precious  offerings  to  the 
Shrine.  On  the  inner  side  is  a  building  of  late 
Norman  work — this  was  originally  the  Treasury. 

The  North-east  Transept  is  a  repetition  of  the 
South-east  Transept.  It,  however,  contains  a 
monument  to  Archbishop  Tait,  designed  by 
Boehm;  and  in  the  north  wall  are  three  slits  called 
hagiscopes.  Through  these  "  holy  spy  holes,"  the 
Prior  could  see  Mass  being  celebrated  at  the  High 
Altar  and  in  the  altars  in  the  Chapels  of  St.  Mar- 
tin and  St.  Stephen  in  the  Transept  below. 

Before  descending  into  the  Crypt  we  must  stop 
to  look  at  St.  Augustine's  Chair,  by  tradition  the 
throne  on  which  the  kings  of  Kent  were  crowned 
and  given  by  Ethelbert  to  St.  Augustine.  All  the 
Archbishops  of  Canterbury  have  taken  office  in  it. 


CANTERBURY  29 

"  This  chair,  which  is  sometimes  called  the  chair  of  St. 
Augustine,  but  which  belongs  to  the  Thirteenth  Century, 
is  composed  of  Purbeck  marble.  In  it  each  successive 
archbishop  for  the  last  six  hundred  years  has  sat  when 
he  has  been  admitted  to  his  metropolitan  functions." — 
(W.  H.  R) 

The  famous  Crypt  is  usually  entered  from  the 
South  Transept.  It  is  the  oldest  part  of  the 
Church,  having  been  built  between  1093  and  1107 
in  the  reigns  of  William  II.  and  Henry  L  It  is 
heavy,  massive,  dark  and  low,  like  all  Norman 
work.  The  capitals  of  the  pillars  are  quaintly  and 
sometimes  harmoniously  carved;  one  under  St.  An- 
selm's  Chapel,  for  instance,  represents  a  concert 
of  beasts  playing  on  musical  instruments.  The 
whole  crypt  was  dedicated  to  the  Blessed  Virgin 
and  in  the  centre  stood  her  altar  and  chapel.  "  The 
Virgin  Mother,"  Erasmus  wrote,  "  has  there  an 
habitation,  but  somewhat  dark,  enclosed  with  a 
double  iron  rail,  for  fear  of  thieves;  for  indeed  I 
never  saw  anything  more  loaded  with  riches. 
Lights  being  brought  we  saw  a  more  than  royal 
spectacle.  This  chapel  is  not  shown  but  to  noble- 
men and  particular  friends." 

The  beautiful  Screen,  which  resembles  the  screen 
behind  the  High  Altar  of  the  choir,  is  thought  to 
have  been  added  with  other  decorations  of  the 
Crypt  at  the  time  of  the  Black  Prince's  marriage  to 
the  Fair  Maid  of  Kent  (1363),  when  he  founded 
two  chantries  in  the  Crypt.  These  now  form  the 
entrance  to  the  French  Church,  where  the  de- 
scendants of  the  Huguenot  and  Walloon  refugees 
still  hold  service  in  the  ritual  of  their  ancestors. 

Queen  Elizabeth  gave  up  the  whole  of  the  Crypt 
in  1561  to  the  Flemish  and  French  refugees 


30  CANTERBURY 

"  whom  the  rod  of  Alva  bruised."  The  silk- 
weavers  set  up  their  looms  here. 

Before  the  magnificent  shrine  of  the  Virgin  lies 
Henry  VII. 's  minister,  Cardinal  Morton,  whose 
tomb  is  enriched  with  the  crown  and  roses  of  York 
and  Lancaster,  the  Cardinal's  hat,  the  Tudor 
portcullis  and  a  passing  allusion  to  his  name — 
Mort  (hawk)  and  Ton  or  Tun  (a  barrel).  He  as- 
sisted in  building  Bell  Harry  (or  the  Angel) 
Tower. 

Another  famous  tomb  in  the  Crypt  is  that  of 
Isabel,  Countess  of  Atholl,  granddaughter  of 
King  John  and  sister-in-law  of  John  Balliol,  King 
of  Scotland.  She  owned  the  castle  of  Chilham 
near  Canterbury  and  died  in  1292.  Her  tomb 
stands  at  the  entrance  to  the  Chapel  of  St.  Ga- 
briel. The  latter  is  extremely  dark,  but  shows, 
when  lighted  up,  some  remarkable  frescoes  of  the 
Twelfth  Century,  representing  the  Nativity  of 
Christ  and  of  John  the  Baptist. 

"  Further  beyond  the  Duchess  of  Atholl's  tomb  the 
crypt  is  much  loftier  and  becomes  almost  a  church  in 
itself.  This  is  the  part  beyond  the  apse  of  the  original 
Cathedral,  the  place  of  Becket's  first  burial,  where  Henry 
II.  did  penance,  passing  the  night  in  fasting  and  in  the 
morning  baring  his  back  and  receiving  three  lashes  from 
each  of  the  monks.  Here  the  miracles  began  to  be 
wrought  and  the  Tumba,  even  after  its  contents  were 
removed,  was  still  reckoned  a  holy  place.  The  present 
lofty  crypt  was  built  over  and  round  the  Tumba  after  the 
great  fire  of  1174;  and,  some  forty  years  after  its  com- 
pletion and  that  of  the  Trinity  Chapel  above  it,  the  re- 
mains of  Becket  were  translated  by  Stephen  Langton,  with 
great  pomp,  to  the  shrine  prepared  for  them  in  the  sanctu- 
ary above."— (W.  H.  F.) 

The  Crypt  is  largely  the  work  of  Ernulf;  and 
the  diaper  pattern  and  marble  shaft  by  the  door 


CANTERBURY  31 

that  leads  from  the  S.  E.  corner  of  the  Martyr- 
dom, occur  again  in  Rochester,  where  Ernulf  be- 
came bishop  (See  page  34).  A  statue  of  Ernulf, 
intended  for  the  west  front  of  the  Cathedral,  is 
now  in  his  Crypt. 

The  lower  part  of  the  Crypt  ends  towards  the 
east  in  a  semi-circular  sweep  of  pillars.  The  end 
of  the  Crypt  was  built  by  Ernulf  in  1096. 

The  old  Benedictine  Convent  of  Christ's  Church 
that  St.  Augustine  established  grew  to  be  of  the 
utmost  importance.  Portions  of  the  massive  wall 
by  which  they  were  surrounded  still  remain.  The 
monastic  buildings  were  numerous  and  extensive. 
The  Prior,  who  had  the  right  of  wearing  the  mitre 
and  carrying  the  episcopal  staff,  lived  in  great  dig- 
nity. In  a  set  of  state  chambers,  known  as  the 
Meist'  Omers  and  belonging  to  the  Prior,  pilgrims 
of  high  rank  were  lodged.  Somewhere  in  the  vi- 
cinity of  the  Infirmary  and  its  chapel  was  the 
miraculous  Well  of  St.  Thomas,  which  appeared 
in  the  Fourteenth  Century.  A  passage  and  the 
Dark  Entry,  haunted  by  the  ghost  of  Nell  Cook 
of  the  Ingoldsby  Legends,  takes  us  into  the 
Priors',  or  Green  Court,  planted  with  linden  trees, 
or  limes,  as  the  English  call  them.  Here  we  find 
remains  of  the  great  Dormitory,  the  Guest  House, 
built  by  Prior  Goldstone,  the  Norman  Almonry 
Gate  and  the  Norman  Staircase,  the  only  con- 
struction of  its  kind  existing.  The  Hall  above  was 
built  in  1855. 

The  beautiful  Cloisters,  the  work  of  Prior  Chil- 
lenden  (about  1400),  are  decorated  on  the  roof 
with  the  arms  of  Kentish  families.  In  the  north- 
west corner  is  the  doorway  through  which  Becket 
passed  to  his  doom. 


32  CANTERBURY 

"  The  cloister  occupies  the  same  space  as  the  Norman 
cloister  built  by  Lanfranc,  but  of  the  Norman  work  only 
a  doorway  remains  at  the  north-east  corner;  there  is  some 
Early  English  arcading  on  the  north  side,  but  the  present 
tracery  and  fan-worked  roof  belong  to  the  end  of  the 
Fourteenth  Century,  when  Archbishops  Sudbury,  Arundell 
and  Courtenay,  and  Prior  Chillenden  (1390-1411)  rebuilt 
the  nave,  the  cloister  and  the  chapter-house.  The  latter 
work  cuts  across  the  older  in  the  most  unceremonious 
way,  as  is  seen  especially  in  the  square  doorway  by  which 
we  shall  presently  enter  the  Martyrdom,  which  cuts  into  a 
far  more  beautiful  portal  of  the  Decorated  period.  If  we 
take  our  stand  at  the  north-west  corner  of  the  cloister, 
from  which  a  very  fine  view  is  gained  of  the  Cathedral, 
especially  about  sunset,  we  may  picture  to  ourselves  the 
life  of  the  monks.  Above  the  north-eastern  side  of  the 
cloister  are  the  old  Norman  arches  of  their  dormitory, 
now  taken  in  to  the  new  library;  on  the  eastern  side  is 
the  chapter-house,  with  its  fine  geometrical  ceiling,  where 
they  transacted  their  business;  on  the  south  the  great 
church,  the  services  of  which  occupied  so  many  hours  of 
the  day."— (W.  H.  F.) 


ROCHESTER 

DEDICATION:  ST.  ANDREW.  FORMERLY  THE  CHURCH  OF  A 
BENEDICTINE  MONASTERY. 

SPECIAL  FEATURES:  DOOR  OF  CHAPTER-HOUSE;  WEST  DOOR- 
WAY; CRYPT. 

AFTER  landing  in  567,  St.  Augustine  preached  in 
Rochester,  where  Ethelbert  soon  founded  the 
church  of  St.  Andrew  for  secular  canons.  In  604, 
a  bishop  was  appointed, — St.  Augustine's  compan- 
ion, Justus.  Justus  became  Archbishop  of  Canter- 
bury in  624,  and  was  succeeded  in  Rochester  by 
Paulinus ;  and  he,  in  his  turn,  by  the  first  Eng- 
lish bishop,  St.  Ythamar  (644-655).  Rochester's 
three  chief  saints  in  early  days  were,  therefore, 
Justus,  Paulinus  and  Ythamar. 

Gundulf,  a  monk  of  Bee  in  Normandy,  was  ap- 
pointed to  Rochester  in  1076.  He  immediately 
turned  it  into  a  Benedictine  monastery  and  built 
a  church  for  his  monks.  Gundulf  was  one  of  the 
greatest  architects  of  his  day:  he  also  built  the 
great  Keep  of  Rochester  Castle,  portions  of  the 
Tower  of  London  and  the  Castle  of  Dover.  The 
Saxon  Cathedral  had  suffered  from  the  ravages  of 
the  Danes  and  upon  the  ruins,  Gundulf,  with  as- 
sistance from  Archbishop  Lanfranc  of  Canterbury, 
completed  a  larger  cathedral  between  1080  and 
1089.  The  plan  was  peculiar:  it  was  neither  Eng- 
lish nor  Norman. 

"  All  this  work  of  Gundulf's  is  now  gone  except  por- 
tions of  the  crypt,  the  keep  and  the  nave.  Of  Gundulf's 
nave  there  remain  on  the  south  side  five  arches,  together 

33 


34  ROCHESTER 

with  the  lower  parts  of  the  walls  of  both  aisles.  It  is  very 
doubtful  whether  he  built  any  part  of  the  triforium  or 
clerestory.  At  present  his  work  can  only  be  seen  in  its 
original  condition  from  the  'side  of  the  aisles.  The  pier- 
arches  had  originally  two  square  orders,  which  remain  un- 
altered on  the  side  of  the  aisle  (cf.  Winchester  transept). 
Gundulf's  masonry  was  in  rough  tufa." — (F.  B.) 

Gundulf  placed  the  relics  of  St.  Paulinus  in  a 
silver  shrine  at  the  eastern  end  of  his  new 
cathedral. 

Ernulf,  Prior  of  Canterbury,  began  the  second 
Norman  church  about  1120.  This  was  continued 
by  his  successor,  John  of  Canterbury. 

"  Subsequently  the  choir  was  re-arranged  and  the  nave 
partly  rebuilt,  partly  re-faced,  added  to,  and  finished  with 
the  west  front,  which,  to  a  great  extent,  still  remains. 
This  later  Norman  work  was  carried  out  from  east  to  west 
during  the  episcopate  of  Ernulf  (1115-24)  and  John  of 
Canterbury  (1125-37).  The  upper  part  of  the  west  front 
and  some  of  the  carving  may  not  have  been  completed 
within  even  that  period.  What  seems  certain  is,  that  we 
are  indebted  to  later  Norman  builders  for  the  re-casing 
of  the  piers  of  the  nave  arcade,  the  greater  richness  of 
their  capitals,  the  outer  decorated  order  of  the  arches,  the 
triforium  with  its  richly  diapered  tympana,  and  the  west 
front.  Assigning  most  of  these  works  to  the  time  of 
Bishop  John,  as  seems  best,  we  can  point  to  others  that 
testify  to  Ernulf's  architectural  skill.  He  is  recorded  to 
have  built  the  refectory,  dormitory  and  chapter-house. 
Portions  of  these  still  remain,  and  one  feature,  in  the 
ornamentation  of  the  chapter-house,  especially,  marks  it  as 
his  work.  This  is  a  peculiar  lattice-like  diaper,  which 
occurs  elsewhere  at  Rochester — in  fragments  that  be- 
longed probably  to  a  beginning  by  him  of  the  renovation  of 
the  choir — but  has  only  been  noticed  at  one  other  place : 
by  the  entrance  to  the  crypt  at  Canterbury,  where  also  it 
is  due  to  him."— (G.  H.  P.) 

The  Cathedral  was  dedicated  in  1130;  but  while 
King  Henry  I.,  the  Archbishop  of  Canterbury  and 


ROCHESTER  35 

many  of  the  nobility  were  still  in  the  city  a  fire 
broke  out  "  without  any  regard  to  the  majesty  of 
the  King,  grandeur  of  the  church  or  solemnity  of 
the  occasion,"  as  an  old  chronicle  quaintly  observes, 
and  greatly  damaged  the  new  church. 

Two  other  fires  occurred  in  the  same  century, 
and  in  1179  the  monks  set  to  work  to  rebuild  the 
whole  cathedral. 

"  As  usual  they  arranged  their  building  operations  so  as 
to  avoid  interfering  with  the  services  in  the  choir  as  long 
as  possible.  First  they  rebuilt  the  north  aisle  of  the 
choir,  but  not  so  high  as  it  is  at  present.  The  aisle  re- 
mained narrow  because  Gundulf's  tower  was  in  the  way. 
But  the  south  aisle  of  the  choir  they  doubled  in  width. 
Next  they  set  to  work  at  the  east  end,  planning  it,  as  at 
Hereford,  as  an  eastern  transept  with  an  eastern  aisle 
and  projecting  eastward  an  oblong  sanctuary  (cf.  South- 
well). The  new  transept  was  lofty  and  broad;  and  it  is 
quite  possible  that  it  was  built  over  the  top  of  Gundulf's 
east  end  without  disturbing  daily  services  within  it.  Then 
when  all  was  finished  Gundulf's  east  end  was  pulled 
down.  Unlike  the  Worcester  monks  they  preserved  the 
level  of  the  Eleventh  Century  choir,  and  consequently 
had  to  continue  Gundulf's  crypt  eastward.  In  the  new 
presbytery  is  seen  the  same  curious  mixture  of  quadri- 
partite and  sexpartite  vaulting  as  in  St.  Hugh's  eastern 
transept  at  Lincoln.  All  this  work  was  finished  in  1227." — 
(G.  H.  P.) 

The  monks  were  enabled  to  undertake  rebuild- 
ing on  this  large  scale  because  in  1201  they  ac- 
quired a  new  saint.  A  baker  of  Perth,  named  Wil- 
liam, famed  for  his  piety,  started  to  the  Holy  Land. 
He  got  as  far  as  the  road  to  Canterbury,  where  his 
servant  killed  him  for  his  money.  The  monks 
found  the  body  and  buried  it  in  the  choir  of  St. 
Andrew's.  St.  William  soon  began  to  work  mira- 
cles and  attracted  many  of  the  pilgrims  on  their 


36  ROCHESTER 

way  to  the  Shrine  of  St.  Thomas  at  Canterbury. 
The  choir,  rebuilt  by  means  of  the  offerings,  was 
first  used  for  service  in  1227. 

"The  choir  and  transepts  of  Rochester  Cathedral  are  a 
very  beautiful  and  remarkable  example  of  Early  English. 
The  architect  was  William  de  Hoo,  first  sacristan,  then 
prior,  and  there  is  some  reason  to  believe  that  he  is  the 
same  person  as  William  the  young  Englishman,  who  as- 
sisted William  of  Sens  after  his  fall  from  the  scaffold  at 
Canterbury,  and  completed  the  work  there.  A  young  man 
at  Canterbury  in  1185,  able  to  carry  on  and  complete  such 
a  work,  may  very  well  have  become  the  architect  on  his 
his  own  account  of  the  daughter  church  of  Rochester  in 
1201-1227,  and  there  is  great  resemblance  in  style  between 
Rochester  and  the  later  work  at  Canterbury." — (J.  H.  P.) 

About  this  time  the  monks  resolved  to  have  a 
central  tower  and  to  rebuild  the  nave.  While  all 
this  work  was  going  on,  the  church  was  desecrated 
by  the  troops  of  Simon  de  Montfort.  A  chronicler 
relates  that 

"They  entered  the  church  of  St.  Andrew  on  the  day 
on  which  the  Lord  hung  on  the  cross  for  sinners.  Armed 
knights  on  their  horses,  coursing  around  the  altars,  dragged 
away  with  impious  hands  some  who  fled  for  refuge  thither, 
the  gold  and  silver  and  other  precious  things  being  with 
violence  carried  off  thence.  The  buildings  were  turned 
into  horses'  stables,  and  everywhere  filled  with  the  dung 
of  animals  and  the  defilement  of  dead  bodies." 

In  1343  the  central  tower  was  completed  by 
Bishop  Hamo  de  Hythe,  who  hung  in  its  wooden 
spire  four  bells,  named  Dunstan,  Paulinus,  Ytha- 
mar  and  Lanfranc.  Bishop  Hamo  is  said  to  have 
reconstructed  in  alabaster  and  marble  the  shrines 
of  Paulinus  and  Ythamar.  To  the  middle  of  the 
Fourteenth  Century  belongs  also  the  beautiful  door- 
way leading  into  the  Chapter-House  and  Library. 


ROCHESTER  37 

In  the  Fifteenth  Century,  the  clerestory  and 
vaulting  of  the  north-choir-aisle  were  finished  and 
Perpendicular  windows  were  placed  in  the  nave 
aisles.  The  great  west  window  was  inserted  about 
1470,  and  the  whole  of  the  Norman  clerestory  was 
taken  off  and  a  new  clerestory  and  a  new  wooden 
roof  were  put  up.  The  northern  pinnacle  of  the 
west  gable  was  also  rebuilt.  About  1490,  the  Lady- 
Chapel  was  erected  in  the  corner  between  the  south 
transept  and  the  nave. 

In  1540  the  Cathedral  surrendered  to  the  King; 
and  became  known  as  the  Cathedral  Church  of 
Christ  and  the  Blessed  Virgin  Mary.  In  1558 
the  body  of  Cardinal  Pole  rested  here  one  night 
on  its  way  to  Canterbury.  An  eyewitness  speaks  of 

"the  funeral  pompe  which  trulie  was  great  and  answer- 
able both  to  his  birth  and  calling,  with  store  of  burning 
torches  and  mourning  weedes.  At  what  time  his  coffin, 
being  brought  into  the  church,  was  covered  with  a  cloth  of 
black  velvet,  with  a  great  cross  of  white  satten  over  all 
the  length  and  bredth  of  the  same,  in  the  midst  of  which 
cross  his  Cardinal's  hat  was  placed." 

The  church  suffered  from  the  Puritans  in  1642. 

Samuel  Pepys  speaks  of  repairs  in  1661.  More 
were  made  in  1742-43.  In  1749,  the  steeple  was 
rebuilt.  A  new  organ  was  acquired  in  1791 ;  and 
at  the  close  of  the  Eighteenth  Century  the  upper 
part  of  Gundulf  s  tower  was  taken  down. 

Throughout  the  Nineteenth  Century  repairs  and 
restorations  were  constantly  made.  The  glass 
chiefly  consists  of  memorials  to  heroes  of  the  wars 
of  the  Nineteenth  Century. 

The  best  approach  is  from  the  High  Street 
through  the  College  Gate,  which  marks  the  en- 
trance to  the  Precincts,  or  Green  Church  Haw. 


38  ROCHESTER 

This  is  also  known  as  Chertseys,  or  Cemetery  Gate, 
which  lovers  of  Dickens  remember  as  Jasper's 
Gateway;  for  Cloisterham  of  Edwin  Drood  is 
Rochester.  The  Deanery  Gate  dating  from  the 
reign  of  Edward  III.  was  formerly  the  Sacristy 
Gate.  The  Priors'  Gate  dates  from  the  Fourteenth 
Century. 

The  north  side  of  the  nave  shows  two-lighted 
Perpendicular  windows  with  irregular  quatrefoils 
in  their  heads;  the  north  transept  (Early  English) 
a  high  gable  with  three  circular  windows  and  pin- 
nacles. And  on  the  north  side  of  the  choir  Gun- 
dulf's  Tower  to  which  there  are  two  entrances, — 
one  through  an  opening  in  the  north  wall,  the 
other  through  a  doorway  in  the  south-west  corner. 
In  the  angle  between  the  south  aisle  and  transept 
we  note  the  Lady-Chapel  (Perpendicular)  with 
three-lighted  windows  three  bays  long  from  east 
to  west  and  well-buttressed;  the  south  side  of  the 
choir  contains  three  lancet  windows  and  a  fine 
doorway  that  used  to  open  into  the  cloisters.  The 
south  transept  (Early  Decorated)  is  well  but- 
tressed and  its  gable  adorned  with  pinnacles  and 
gargoyles.  The  lowest  row  of  windows  belongs  to 
the  crypt. 

The  West  Front  has  been  restored.  The  great 
central  window,  and  the  flat  gable  above,  are  Per- 
pendicular (restored),  but  all  the  rest  is  either 
original  Norman  work,  or  as  accurate  a  reproduc- 
tion of  this  as  possible. 

The  great  West  Doorway  (late  Norman)  dates 
from  the  first  half  of  the  Twelfth  Century. 

"  It  is  formed  by  five  receding  arches  and  every  stone 
of  each  of  these  is  carved  with  varying  ornamental  de- 
signs. Between  the  second  and  third  of  them  runs  a  line 


ROCHESTER  39 

of  cable  moulding,  an  ornament  which  occurs  also  inside 
the  door.  Each  arch  has  its  own  shaft  and  the  groups  of 
five  on  each  side  are  elaborately  banded.  The  shafts 
have  richly  sculptured  capitals,  and  in  those  on  the  south 
side,  as  well  as  in  the  tympanum,  the  signs  of  the  Evan- 
gelists appear.  The  shafts  second  from  the  door  on 
either  side  are  carved  with  statues,  two  of  the  oldest  in 
England.  These  are  much  mutilated,  but  they  were 
thought  worthy  of  great  praise  by  Flaxman.  That  on  the 
spectator's  left  is  said  to  represent  King  Henry  I.  and  the 
other  his  wife,  the  '  good  Queen  Maud.'  This  attribution 
is  probably  correct,  as  these  sovereigns  were  both  great 
benefactors  to  the  Cathedral  and  were  living  when  the 
front  was  being  built.  The  figure  of  the  Queen  has  suf- 
fered the  more ;  it  is  recorded^  to  have  been  especially  ill- 
used  by  the  Parliamentarians  in  the  days  of  the  great 
Civil  War.  The  tympanum  contains  a  figure  of  Our 
Lord,  seated  in  Glory,  within  an  aureole  supported  by  two 
angels.  His  right  hand  is  raised  in  benediction  and  his 
left  hand  holds  a  book.  Outside  the  aureole  are  the 
symbols  of  the  four  Evangelists :  the  Angel  of  St. 
Matthew  and  the  Eagle  of  St.  John,  one  on  each 
side  above  the  Winged  Lion  of  St.  Mark  and  the 
Ox  of  St.  Luke  similarly  placed  below.  A  straight  band 
of  masonry  crosses  beneath  the  lunette,  and  has  carved 
on  it  twelve  figures,  now  much  mutilated,  but  supposed  to 
have  represented  the  twelve  Apostles.  All  the  sculptured 
work  of  the  portal  has  suffered  greatly  from  age  and  ex- 
posure and  from  the  hand  of  man.  In  the  recent  restora- 
tion the  coping  has  been  renewed,  the  shafts  have  been 
given  separate  bases  once  more  and  many  of  the  most 
worn  stones  have  been  replaced  by  new  ones  carved  in 
facsimile."— (G.  H.  P.) 

This  doorway  resembles  those  on  the  Continent 
and  shows  the  influence  of  the  East.  Freeman 
says :  "  The  superb  western  portal  at  Rochester 
Cathedral  is  by  far  the  finest  example  of  this  kind, 
if  not  the  finest  of  all  Norman  doorways." 

The  Mayor  and  Corporation  of  Rochester  still 
have  the  right  of  entry  in  their  robes  by  this  door, 


40  ROCHESTER 

through    which    we    now    pass.      Immediately    we 
descend  four  steps  into  the  Nave: 

"The  nave,  150  feet  long  to  the  cross  of  the  lantern,  is 
Norman,  as  far  as  the  last  two  bays  eastward.  If,  as  is 
most  probable,  it  is  a  part  of  Gundulf's  work,  it  was,  no 
doubt,  a  copy  of  the  Norman  nave  at  Canterbury;  and  we 
are  thus  enabled  to  judge  fairly  what  the  appearance  of 
the  metropolitan  cathedral  was  in  this  part  of  it.  Its 
architecture  is  plainer  than  that  of  the  contemporary  ex- 
amples in  France,  though  owing  to  its  having  been  always 
destined  for  a  wooden  roof,  the  piers  and  the  design 
generally  are  lighter  than  where  preparation  was  made 
for  a  stone  vault.  The  triforium  is  richly  ornamented ; 
and  the  arches  open  to  the  space  above  the  side-aisles 
as  well  as  to  the  nave,  a  peculiarity  which  both  Rochester 
and  Canterbury  may  have  received  from  the  church  of 
St.  Stephen's  at  Caen,  where  the  same  arrangement  may 
still  be  seen.  Lanfranc,  the  builder  of  the  Norman  church 
at  Canterbury,  had  been  Abbot  of  St.  Stephen's.  The 
clerestory  windows  above,  like  those  of  the  aisles,  are 
Perpendicular ;  and  the  roof  seems*  to  have  been  raised  at 
the  time  of  their  insertion.  This  is  of  timber  and  quite 
plain. 

"  In  passing  beyond  the  Norman  portion  of  the  nave  to 
the  Early  English,  of  which  nearly  all  the  rest  of  the 
Cathedral  consists,  the  strong  influence  of  Canterbury  is 
at  once  apparent.  The  double  transepts,  the  numberless 
shafts  of  Petworth  marble,  and  perhaps  the  flights  of 
stairs  ascending  from  either  side  of  the  crypt,  recall  im- 
mediately the  works  of  the  two  Williams  in  the  metro- 
politan church,  which  always  maintained  the  closest  con- 
nection with  Rochester,  her  earliest  daughter." — (R.  J.  K.) 

At  the  end  of  the  northern  aisle  we  note  the  early 
Fourteenth  Century  doorway  for  the  use  of  the 
parishioners  of  St.  Nicholas's  altar.  The  lower 
end  of  the  southern  aisle  terminates  in  a  blind  ar- 
cade of  three  arches.  Each  aisle  end  has  also  a 
round-headed  Norman  window.  The  great  West 
Window  is  divided  into  eight  lights  separated  into 


H 

C/3 


O 

U 


ROCHESTER  41 

two  rows  by  a  horizontal  mullion.  The  glass  com- 
memorates the  officers  and  men  of  the  Royal  En- 
gineers who  fell  in  the  South  African  and  Afghan 
campaigns.  The  subjects  are  Biblical  scenes  and 
heroes. 

In  the  south-west  corner  of  the  Nave,  a  charm- 
ing little  Norman  doorway  opens  into  the  tower. 
A  fine  embattled  moulding  runs  round  the  arch. 

The  crossing  is  noticeable  for  the  finely  clustered 
shafts  of  the  tower-piers. 

The  North  Transept  (Early  English)  dates 
from  about  1235.  The  South  Transept  (Early 
Decorated)  is  later.  The  north  transept  is  the 
richer  of  the  two.  The  corbels  of  monastic  heads 
of  great  excellence  deserve  notice. 

In  the  east  wall,  opposite  the  entrance  to  the  Per- 
pendicular Lady-Chapel,  two  bays  were  included 
under  one  arch  to  form  a  recess  for  the  altar  of 
the  Virgin  Mary,  about  1320. 

The  south  transept  underwent  some  alteration 
when  the  Lady-Chapel  was  built.  On  the  wall  un- 
der the  central  window  a  monument  to  Richard 
Watts  was  erected  in  1736.  Watts,  a  member  of 
Queen  Elizabeth's  second  Parliament,  entertained 
her  at  "  Satis  House"  in  1573.  He  also  left  pro- 
visions in  his  will  for  the  poor  and  founded  in  1579 
the  "  House  of  the  Six  Poor  Travellers,"  where 
nightly  six  poor  wayfarers  are  provided  with  sup- 
per, bed  and  breakfast  and  presented  with  four- 
pence  when  they  leave. 

Near  the  Watts  monument  a  brass  tablet  to 
Charles  Dickens,  who  made  the  House  of  the  Six 
Poor  Travellers  famous,  connects  "  his  memory 
with  the  scenes  in  which  his  earliest  and  latest 
years  were  passed  and  with  the  associations  of 


42  ROCHESTER 

Rochester  Cathedral  and  its  neighbourhood,  which 
extended  over  all  his  life." 

The  Choir,  reached  by  a  flight  of  ten  steps, 
is  higher  than  the  nave.  It  is  entered  through  iron 
gates  in  the  central  doorway  of  the  screen,  which 
represent  St.  Andrew,  King  Ethelbert,  St.  Jus- 
tus, St.  Paulinus,  Bishop  Gundulf,  William  de  Hoo, 
Bishop  Walter  de  Merton  and  Cardinal  John 
Fisher,  designed  by  Mr.  John  Pearson. 

The  organ  is  on  the  screen  beneath  the  choir- 
arch.  The  Choir,  remodelled  in  1825-1830, 

"  is  entered  by  a  flight  of  steps  rendered  necessary,  as  at 
Canterbury,  by  the  height  of  the  crypt  below.  It  was 
completed  sufficiently  for  use  in  1127.  It  is  thoroughly 
developed  Early  English,  although  much  has  evidently 
been  borrowed,  even  in  detail,  from  the  Canterbury  transi- 
tion work.  It  is  narrow  and  somewhat  heavy;  defects 
not  lightened  by  the  woodwork  of  the  stalls,  which  is 
indifferent,  or  by  the  use  of  colour, — a  single  line  of 
which,  however, 'is  carried  along  the  ribs  of  the  vaulting 
with  very  good  effect. 

"  The  brackets  of  Early  English  foliage,  from  which  the 
blind  wall-arches  spring,  should  be  noticed.  Two  large 
ones  especially,  at  the  angles  of  the  eastern  transept,  are 
excellent  specimens  of  this  period,  before  the  naturalism 
of  the  Decorated  had  begun  to  develop  itself.  A  frag- 
ment of  mural  painting,  apparently  of  the  same  date  as 
the  choir  itself,  remains  on  the  wall,  close  above  the  pul- 
pit. The  painting,  when  entire,  is  said  to  have  represented 
a  subject  not  uncommon  in  early  churches — the  Wheel  of 
Fortune  with  various  figures — king,  priest,  husbandman  and 
others — climbing  it." — (R.  J.  K.) 

This  painting  (5  feet  10  inches  high  and  2  feet 
2  inches  wide)  dates  from  the  Thirteenth  Century. 
Fortune  dressed  as  a  queen,  and  in  yellow,  moves 
the  wheel  with  her  right  hand. 

Passing  into  the  North-choir-transept,  still  Early 


ROCHESTER  43 

English  and  a  part  of  William  de  Hoo's  work,  the 
first  point  of  interest  is  'St.  William's  Tomb,  at  the 
north-east  corner,  of  Purbeck  marble,  with  a 
floriated  cross. 

Towards  the  centre  of  the  transept  is  a  flat  stone 
marked  with  six  crosses,  upon  which  St.  William's 
Shrine  is  said  to  have  rested.  The  steps  which  de- 
scend into  the  north  aisle  of  the  Choir  are,  as  at 
Canterbury,  deeply  worn  by  the  constant  ascent 
of  pilgrims. 

West  of  the  Saint's  tomb  lies  Walter  de  Merton, 
founder  of  Merton  College,  Oxford,  and  Bishop 
of  Rochester  from  1274  to  1277.  His  tomb  is  a 
very  beautiful  example  of  Early  Decorated. 

The  present  arrangement  of  the  east  end  is  the 
work  of  Sir  G.  Scott.  The  Choir-stalls  were  de- 
signed by  Sir  G.  Scott,  who  incorporated  as  much 
of  the  old  work  as  possible. 

Just  behind  the  Altar,  above  which  is  a  picture 
of  The  Angels  appearing  to  the  Shepherds,  by  Ben- 
jamin West  (placed  there  in  1788),  is  a  fine 
Piscina.  Opposite  three  stone  Sedilia  (late  Per- 
pendicular) deserve  notice. 

In  the  railed-ofT  transept  aisle,  known  as  St.  John 
the  Baptist's  Chapel,  or  Warner  Chapel,  because 
of  the  monuments  to  members  of  the  Warner  fam- 
ily ("  Palladian  "  in  style,  1666-1698),  there  is  an 
old  weather-worn  statue  which  tradition  says  is  a 
portrait  of  Gundulf. 

In  the  eastern  aisle  of  the  north-east  transept  is 
the  Tomb  of  Bishop  John  De  Sheppy  (1353- 
1360).  It  is 

"  probably  the  most  perfect  specimen  of  ancient  colour- 
work  now  existing  in  England.  It  had  been  bricked  up 


44  ROCHESTER 

within  the  arch  where  it  still  remains,  and  was  discovered 
during  the  repairs  in  1825.  The  colours  and  monuments 
deserve  the  most  careful  attention,  as  well  for  their  own 
beauty  as  for  their  great  value  as  authorities.  In  the 
maniple  held  over  the  left  arm,  some  of  the  crystals 
with  which  it  was  studded  still  remain.  Remark  the 
couchant  dogs  at  the  feet.  About  their  necks  are  scarlet 
collars,  hung  with  bells.  An  inscription  with  the  Bishop's 
name  surrounds  the  effigy." — (R.  J.  K.) 

The  short  sacrarium,  or  chancel,  east  of  the 
transepts,  probably  formed  part  of  William  de 
Hoo's  work.  The  beautiful  windows  at  the  east 
end  are  Decorated.  In  the  south  side  of  the  sacra- 
rium, next  the  altar,  a  tomb  of  plain  marble  is 
thought  to  be  that  of  Gundulf. 

In  the  east  wall  of  the  south-choir-transept  we 
come  to  one  of  the  finest  pieces  of  English  Deco- 
rated in  existence, — the  Chapter-House  Doorway. 
It  dates  from  the  middle  of  the  Fourteenth  Century. 

"  The  full-length  figures,  one  on  each  side  of  the  door, 
symbolising  the  Church  and  the  Synagogue,  were  both 
headless  when  Mr.  Cottingham  restored  the  doorway,  be- 
tween 1825  and  1830.  Much  fault  has  been  found  with  him 
for  turning  the  first,  which  is  thought  to  have  been  like 
the  other,  a  female  figure,  into  a  mitred,  bearded  bishop 
holding  a  cross  in  his  right  hand  and  the  model  of  a 
church  in  his  left.  The  blindfolded  '  Synagogue,'  by  her 
broken  staff  and  the  tables  of  the  law  held  reversed  in 
her  right  hand,  typifies  the  overthrow  of  the  Mosaic 
dispensation.  Above  are  figures,  two  on  each  side,  seated 
at  book-desks  under  canopies.  These  are  supposed  to  be 
the  four  great  Doctors  of  the  Church :  Saints  Augustine, 
Gregory,  Jerome  and  Ambrose.  Quite  at  the  head  of  the 
arch,  under  a  lofty  pyramidal  canopy,  we  see  a  tiny  nude 
figure  which  represents,  probably,  a  pure  soul  just  released 
from  Purgatory.  If  this  is  so,  it  would  account  for  the 
flames  from  which  the  angels,  on  each  side,  bearing  scrolls, 
seem  to  be  rising.  It  has  been  suggested  likewise  that  the 


ROCHESTER  45 

distorted  heads,  which  alternate  with  squares  of  foliage 
in  the  wider  inside  moulding  of  the  doorway,  typify  the 
sufferings  of  the  soul  in  its  passage.  The  outside  moulding 
is  also  interesting,  being  a  wide  hollow  in  the  bottom 
of  which  circular  holes  are  cut  at  intervals.  Through  these 
can  be  seen  the  broad  stem  from  which  spring  the  leaves 
that  ornament  the  intervening  spaces.  The  arch-head  is 
ogee-shaped  outside,  with  large  external  and  smaller,  but 
not  less  rich,  internal  crockets.  The  square  back  to  it,  and 
the  spaces  beneath  the  corbels,  on  which  the  Church  and 
Synagogue  figures  stand,  are  filled  with  noteworthy 
diapers.  The  first  is  divided  diagonally  into  sunken 
squares,  each  containing  a  flower;  and  the  others  have 
lion  masks  in  quatrefoils,  with  five-petalled  roses  in  the 
alternate  spaces."— (G.  H.  P.) 

A  steep  flight  of  stairs  leads  from  this  Transept 
to  St.  Edmund's  Chapel,  south  of  the  Choir.  From 
this  we  enter  the  Crypt, 

"  which  extends  under  the  whole  of  the  choir  and  is  one 
of  the  best  specimens  of  its  class  to  be  found  in  England. 
The  west  and  east  parts  are  evidently  of  a  much  earfier 
date  than  the  central,  which  is  Early  English,  and  of  the 
same  period  as  the  choir  above.  In  building  this,  the  an- 
cient crypt  was  probably  broken  through,  and  in  part  re- 
constructed. The  earlier  portions  are  distinguished  by 
very  massive  piers  and  circular  arches.  Between  the  piers 
are  small  pillars,  with  plain  broad  capitals.  It  is  not  im- 
possible that  this  part  of  the  crypt  may  date  from  before 
the  Conquest.  At  all  events,  it  is  the  earliest  portion  of 
the  existing  cathedral,  and  cannot  be  later  than  the  work 
of  Bishop  Gundulf."—  (R.  J.  K.) 


WINCHESTER 

DEDICATION:  THE  HOLY  AND  INDIVISIBLE  TRINITY.  FOR- 
MERLY THE  CHURCH  OF  A  BENEDICTINE  MONASTERY. 

SPECIAL  FEATURES  :  NORMAN  NAVE;  TOWER;  WEST  WINDOW  ; 
CHOIR-STALLS;  FONT;  REREDOS. 

WINCHESTER  is  the  largest  cathedral  in  England 
and  affords  good  examples  of  every  style  from 
pure  Norman  to  early  Renaissance.  It  is  the  fifth 
cathedral  that  has  occupied  this  site,  for  tradition 
says  that  a  British  church  was  founded  here  by 
Lucius,  King  of  the  Britons. 

This  first  church  was  destroyed  in  266  and  the 
clergy  martyred  during  the  persecutions  of  the 
Christians  by  Diocletian.  The  second  church, 
erected  under  Constantine,  was  in  515  transformed 
by  Cerdic,  founder  of  the  Kingdom  of  Wessex, 
into  a  Temple  of  Dagon,  in  which  he  was  crowned 
in  519  and  buried  in  534.  Cerdic's  great  grand- 
son, Kynegils,  converted  by  St.  Birinus,  the  first 
of  Saxon  bishops,  began  the  third  church  which 
his  son,  Kenwalk,  completed  in  648.  Kenwalk's 
buildings  were,  in  their  turn,  enlarged  and  re- 
paired by  Swithun,  a  prior  of  the  Benedictine  mon- 
astery established  here.  Swithun,  who  became 
Bishop  of  Winchester  and  tutor  to  King  Alfred 
and  Ethelwold,  was,  according  to  the.  chroniclers, 
"  a  diligent  builder  of  churches  in  places  where 
there  were  none  before,  and  a  repairer  of  those 
that  had  been  destroyed  or  ruined."  When  he 
died  in  862,  he  was  buried,  according  to  his  own 
desire,  in  the  churchyard  of  Winchester,  where 

46 


WINCHESTER  47 

"  passersby  might  tread  on  his  grave,  and  where 
the  rain  from  the  eaves  might  fall  on  it." 

When  this  third  church  was  destroyed  by  the 
Danes  in  867,  portions  were  restored  by  Alfred  the 
Great,  St.  Ethelwold  and  St.  Alphege.  St.  Ethel- 
wold  removed  the  body  of  St.  Swithun  to  the 
golden  shrine  within  the  cathedral,  now  dedicated 
to  St.  Swithun,  St.  Peter  and  St.  Paul;  but  the 
Translation  being  delayed  by  rain,  gave  the  saint 
reputation  as  a  weather  prophet.  Hence  the 
weather  on  the  anniversary  (July  15)  is  foretold 
by  the  old  rhyme : 

"St.  Swithun's  Day,  if  thou  dost  rain, 
For  forty  days  it  will  remain; 
St.  Swithun's  Day,  if  thou  be  fair, 
Forty  days  'twill  rain  na  mair." 

One  of  the  features  of  St.  Ethelwold's  cathedral 
was  a  magnificent  "  pair  of  organs/'  of  tremendous 
size  and  power,  with  twelve  bellows  above  and 
fourteen  below  and  seventy  strong  men  as  blow- 
ers to  fill  the  four  hundred  pipes.  Below,  at  two 
keyboards,  sat  two  brethren  in  "  unity  of  spirit." 

Ethelwold  was  buried  in  the  southern  crypt. 

This  Saxon  church  was  succeeded  by  the  present 
cathedral,  begun  in  1079,  by  Walkelyn,  the  first 
Norman  bishop. 

Walkelyn  was  of  noble  birth  and  related  to  Wil- 
liam Rufus,  who  granted  him  license  to  search  for 
stone  in  the  Isle  of  Wight  and  as  much  wood  from 
the  forest  of  Hanepinges  (on  the  Alresford  road) 
as  his  carpenters  could  take  in  four  days  and  nights. 
The  wily  Bishop  collected  a  large  force  of  men  and 
within  the  assigned  time  cut  down  the  whole  forest. 
The  King  was  furious.  The  new  Cathedral  was 


48  WINCHESTER 

finished  in  1093,  having  been  rebuilt  by  Walkelyn, 
from  the  west  front  to  the  great  tower,  including 
the  transepts.  He  also  removed,  and  with  great 
pomp,  St.  Swithun's  shrine  from  the  old  altar  to 
the  new  one.  Walkelyn  died  in  1098  and  was 
buried  in  the  nave. 

Bishop  Lucy,  Bishop  William  of  Edington  and 
William  of  Wykeham  are  the  next  three  great 
architects  of  Winchester. 

"  It  was  Bishop  Edington  who  commenced  the  altera- 
tion of  Winchester  Cathedral  into  the  Perpendicular  style; 
he  died  in  1366,  and  the  work  was  continued  by  William 
of  Wykeham,  who  mentions  in  his  will  that  Edington  had 
finished  the  west  end,  with  two  windows  on  the  north 
side  and  one  on  the  south :  the  change  in  the  character  of 
the  work  is  very  distinctly  marked.  Bishop  Edington's 
work  at  Winchester  was  executed  at  a  later  period  than 
that  at  Edington,  and,  as  might  be  expected,  the  new  idea 
is  more  fully  developed;  but  on  a  comparison  between  the 
west  window  of  Winchester  and  the  east  window  of 
Edington,  it  will  at  once  be  seen  that  the  principle  of  con- 
struction is  the  same;  there  is  a  central  division  carried 
up  to  the  head  of  the  window,  and  sub-arches  springing 
from  each  side:  it  may  be  observed  that  whenever  this 
arrangement  of  the  sub-arches  occurs  in  Decorated  work, 
it  is  a  sign  that  the  work  is  late  in  the  style.  Before  the 
death  of  Bishop  Edington  the  great  principles  of  the  Per- 
pendicular Style  were  fully  established.  These  chiefly  con- 
sist of  the  Perpendicular  lines  through  the  head  of  the 
window,  and  in  covering  the  surface  of  the  wall  with 
panelling  of  the  same  kind.  These  features  are  as  dis- 
tinctly marked  at  Winchester  as  in  any  subsequent  building, 
or  as  they  well  could  be." — (J.  H.  P.) 

In  the  eastern  part  of  the  Crypt  there  is  ancient 
masonry  undoubtedly  belonging  to  the  time  of  St. 
Ethelwold ;  then  we  find  above  it  the  massive  Nor- 
man work  of  Bishop  Walkelyn ;  then,  to  the  east, 
the  graceful  Early  English  of  Bishop  Lucy;  along 


WINCHESTER  49 

the  nave,  the  Perpendicular  columns  of  Bishop  Ed- 
ington  and  William  of  Wykeham,  on  which  rests 
the  exquisite  groined  roof.  Above  this  roof  the 
great  rough-hewn  beams  cut  from  the  King's  for- 
est by  Walkelyn  more  than  eight  hundred  years 
ago  can  still  be  seen  and  in  a  perfect  state  of 
soundness. 

"  In  this  great  church  many  stirring  scenes  of  English 
history  have  been  enacted.  The  early  kings  made  Win- 
chester their  home  and  the  Cathedral  their  chapel.  Here  it 
was  that  Egbert,  after  being  crowned  in  regent  totius 
Britannia,  with  assent  of  all  parties,  issued  an  edict  in 
828,  ordering  that  the  island  should  thereafter  be  always 
styled  England  and  its  people  Englishmen.  Here  King 
Alfred  was  crowned  and  lived  and  died.  Here,  in  1035, 
Cnut's  body  lay  in  state  before  the  high  altar,  over  which 
was  hung  henceforth  for  many  a  year,  a  most  precious 
relic,  *  the  great  Norseman's  crown.  Here  William  the 
Conqueror  often  came,  and  wore  his  crown  at  the  Easter 
Gemot ;  here,  too,  clustered  many  of  the  national  legends : 
St.  Swithun  here  did  his  mighty  works,  and  here  were  the 
forty  dismal  days  of  rain;  hard  by  is  the  scene  of  the 
great  fight  between  Colbrand  the  Dane  and  Guy  of  War- 
wick; in  the  nave  of  the  church  Queen  Emma  trod  tri- 
umphant on  the  red-hot  plough-shares  as  on  a  bed  of  roses ; 
hither  came  Earl  Godwin's  body  after  his  marvellous  and 
terrible  death,  one  of  the  well-known  group  of  malignant 
Norman  tales.  It  was  in  Winchester  Cathedral  that  Henry 
Beauclerk  took  to  wife  his  queen,  Matilda,  to  the  great  joy 
of  all  English-speaking  folk.  Here  Stephen  of  Blois  was 
crowned  King;  and  here,  on  the  other  hand,  the  Empress 
Maud  was  welcomed  by  city  and  people  with  high  rejoic- 
ings ;  here,  too,  was  drawn  up  and  issued  the  final  com- 
pact, in  1153,  which  closed  the  civil  war  of  that  weary 
reign  and  secured  the  crown  to  the  young  Prince  Henry. 
He  in  his  turn  often  sojourned  in  Winchester,  and  be- 
friended in  his  strong  way  the  growing  city.  The 
Cathedral  witnessed  another  compact  in  the  dark  days  of 
King  John :  the  King  was  here  reconciled  to  the  English 
Church  in  the  person  of  Stephen  Langton;  Henry  III.  and 


So  WINCHESTER 

his  Queen  Eleanor,  were  here  in  1242;  and  on  May-day 
of  that  year  *  came  the  Queen  into  the  Chapter-house  to 
receive  society/  In  1275  Edward  I.,  with  his  Queen,  was 
welcomed  with  great  honour  by  the  prior  and  brethren  of 
St.  Swithun,  and  attended  service  in  the  church.  The 
christening  of  Arthur,  Prince  of  Wales,  elder  brother  of 
Henry  VIII. ,  was  here;  and  here  Henry  VIII.  met  his 
astute  rival,  the  Emperor  Charles  V.  It  was  in  Winchester 
Cathedral  that  the  marriage  of  Philip  and  Mary  took  place, 
and  the  chair  in  which  she  sat  is  still  to  be  seen  in  the 
church.  The  Stuart  Kings  loved  the  place.  Here  in  the 
great  rebellion  was  enacted  that  strange  scene  when,  after 
the  capture  of  the  city,  the  mob  rushed  into  the  Cathedral, 
wild  for  booty  and  mischief,  and  finding  in  the  chests 
nothing  but  bones,  amused  themselves  by  throwing  them 
at  the  stained  windows  of  the  choir.  It  was  at  this  time 
that  Colonel  Nathaniel  Fiennes,  a  Parliamentary  officer 
and  an  old  Wykehamist,  stood  with  drawn  sword  at  the 
door  of  Wykeham's  chantry  to  protect  it  from  violence. 
Since  the  days  of  the  Merry  Monarch,  who  was  often  at 
Winchester,  and  loved  it  so  well  that  he  built  his  palace 
here,  no  striking  historical  events  have  been  enacted  within 
its  walls.  The  church  by  degrees  recovered  from  the 
ruin  of  the  Commonwealth  time,  and  has  had  a  quiet,  happy 
life  from  that  time  onward,  a  tranquil  grey  building  sleep- 
ing amidst  its  trees,  in  the  heart  of  the  most  charming  of  all 
south  English  cities."— (G.  W.  K.) 

The  best  view  of  Winchester  Cathedral  is  from 
the  top  of  St.  Catherine's  hill,  where  the  great 
mass  rises  solemnly  over  the  distant  city.  Its  enor- 
mous length  is  broken  by  the  bold  transepts,  which 
extend  three  bays  beyond  the  aisles.  People  are, 
as  a  rule,  disappointed  with  their  first  view  of  the 
exterior,  because  of  its  lack  of  decoration  and  the 
lowness  of  the  heavy  Norman  tower  in  the  cen- 
tre. The  bright-green  turf  of  the  Precincts  and 
the  trees,  however,  make  with  the  grey  walls  an  im- 
pressive picture.  A  short  avenue  of  trees  leads 
through  the  Close  to  the  western  door. 


WINCHESTER  51 

The  West  Front  was  originally  the  work  of  Ed- 
ington  (1345-1366).  It  is  118  feet  in  breadth  and 
composed  of  a  panelled  gable  of  Perpendicular 
style  with  hexagonal  turrets.  Immediately  under 
the  window  in  a  gallery  over  the  entrance,  the 
bishop  used  to  give  his  benediction  to  the  people. 
The  figure  of  William  of  Wykeham  stands  in  the 
gable,  replacing  an  ancient  bishop  removed  in  1860. 
No  one  seems  to  know  whether  it  represented  Wil- 
liam of  Wykeham,  Bishop  Edington,  or  St.  Swithun. 
Very  probably  it  was  the  latter,  as  its  companions 
on  the  gable  were  St.  Peter  and  St.  Paul,  the  three 
patron  saints  of  the  Saxon  Cathedral. 

The  great  West  Window  is  divided  by  cross 
mullions  into  three  perpendicular  and  six  horizon- 
tal compartments.  It  is  said  to  be  filled  with  glass, 
collected  from  different  parts  of  the  building,  after 
the  general  smashing  by  the  Parliamentary  soldiers 
in  1646.  Winston  says  these  pieces  are  very  early 
Perpendicular  glass,  and  may  have  been  placed 
together  in  the  window,  as  we  now  see  them,  in 
Bishop  Edington's  time. 

"  Before  entering,  the  visitor  should  remark  the  grand 
view  of  the  interior  obtained  through  the  open  central 
door.  The  length  of  Winchester  (520  feet  from  this  en- 
trance to  the  extreme  eastern  buttresses)  exceeds  that  of 
any  other  cathedral  on  this  side  of  the  Alps,  with  the 
exception  of  Ely  (560  feet)  and  of  Canterbury,  which  is 
about  five  feet  longer  than  Winchester.  A  certain  cold- 
ness, arising  from  want  of  colour,  is  perhaps  felt  at  first; 
but  the  eye  soon  learns  to  dwell  contentedly  on  the  magnifi- 
cent forest  of  piers,  and  on  all  the  graceful  details  above 
and  around  them.  The  string-course  of  corbel-heads  and 
the  light  balustrade  of  the  triforium  in  the  nave  should 
here  be  noticed  as  remarkably  aiding  the  general  effect."- 
(R.  J.  K.) 


52  WINCHESTER 

The  ground-plan  shows  a  nave  of  eleven  bays, 
a  transept  of  three,  a  choir  of  five,  a  presbytery  of 
three  and  a  Lady-Chapel  at  the.  east  end  of  three. 
All  are  furnished  with  side  aisles. 

Winchester  is  the  longest  cathedral  in  England, 
and  the  Nave  is  one  of  the  longest  in  the  world. 
Fergusson  says  it  is  "  perhaps  the  most  beautiful 
nave  in  .England  or  elsewhere/'  The  view  is  over- 
whelmingly grand  and  noble  and  the  groining  of 
the  roof  is  striking  in  the  extreme. 

The  triforium  was  sacrificed  and  the  old  Nor- 
man piers,  recased,  were  left  to  carry  the  lofty 
Perpendicular  arches  and  exquisitely  vaulted  roof. 
The  Perpendicular  lining  and  panelling  disguise 
the  fact  that  the  interior  is  really  Norman. 

"  The  nave  gains  a  special  grandeur  by  the  vaulting 
shafts  rising  from  the  very  floor  so  that  the  eye  follows 
them  upwards  tardily,  as  if  they  were  more  lofty  than  they 
actually  are,  to  the  capitals  whence  the  groined  roof 
springs.  The  aisle  windows  have  a  beauty  worthy  of  care- 
ful notice. 

"  A  striking  yet  beautiful  peculiarity  is  that  Winchester 
nave,  setting  an  example  followed  generally  in  Perpendicu- 
lar churches,  has  no  proper  triforium — a  balcony  close 
above  the  nave  arches  taking  its  place.  Owing  to  the 
thickness  of  the  Norman  masonry  this  arrangement  was 
unavoidable. 

"  The  seven  westerly  piers  on  the  south  side  retain  the 
Norman  stone-work  faced  with  new  mouldings.  Norman 
arches  remain  behind  the  triforium  wall ;  Norman  shafts 
may  be  seen  above  the  vaulting;  and  Norman  flat  but- 
tresses are  traceable  outside  between  the  southerly  clere- 
story windows." — (G.  W.  K.) 

The  Nave  of  Winchester,  therefore,  presents  one 
of  the  most  curious  examples  of  transformation 
from  one  style  of  architecture  to  another;  for  here 
we  have  a  perfect  specimen  of  the  Fourteenth  and 


WINCHESTER:    NAVE,  WEST 


H 
fc 
O 


UJ 

c/2 


u 

£ 


WINCHESTER  53 

Fifteenth  Centuries,  yet  it  is  from  the  ground  to 
the  roof  the  original  Norman  building  begun  by 
Walkelyn.  The  extreme  western  part  was  rebuilt 
by  Edington,  who  began  the  transformation  of  the 
Nave  from  the  Norman  to  the  Perpendicular,  and 
continued  by  his  successor  William  of  Wykeham 
(1366-1404). 

At  Wykeham's  death  in  1404  the  south  side  of 
the  Nave  was  finished  and  the  north  begun.  The 
work  was  continued  and  finished  by  his  successors, 
Cardinal  Beaufort  and  Bishop  Waynflete  (1404- 
1486).  The  arms  on  the  bosses  of  the  vault  of  the 
nave  are  those  of  Wykeham,  Cardinal  Beaufort 
and  John  of  Gaunt  (the  latter's  father)  ;  the 
chained  white  hart  is  the  device  of  Richard  II.  and 
the  lily  that  of  Bishop  Waynflete. 

Students  may  compare  the  Nave  of  Winchester 
with  the  Choir  of  Gloucester,  which  is  also  Nor- 
man in  plan,  "  overlaid  with  a  veneer  of  masonry 
in  the  Pointed  Style."  The  Gloucester  Choir  is, 
however,  of  later  date,  and  instead  of  showing  an 
amalgamation  of  the  two  styles,  as  at  Winchester, 
the  Pointed  is  added  to  the  Round-arched  style. 

The  curious  black  basaltic  stone  Font  was 
probably  the  gift  of  Bishop  Henry  de  Blois 
(1129-71),  and  some  antiquarians  think  that  it 
was  brought  from  Constantinople  during  the  Sec- 
ond Crusade.  The  carvings  represent  St.  Nicho- 
las of  Myra,  the  patron  saint  of  children,  and  much 
honoured  by  the  Normans. 

"  Within  the  walls  the  most  striking  object  of  interest  is 
undoubtedly  the  famous  Norman  font  of  black  basaltic 
stone,  which  was  probably  placed  in  the  church  in  the 
days  of  Walkelyn;  it  portrays  in  bold  if  rude  relief  the 
life  and  miracles  of  St.  Nicholas  of  Myra.  Next  after  the 


54  WINCHESTER 

font  may  perhaps  be  noted  the  fine  carved  spandrels,  Four- 
teenth Century  work,  of  the  choir-stalls,  with  the  quaint 
misereres  of  the  seats ;  then  Prior  Silkstede's  richly  carved 
pulpit  of  the  Fifteenth  Century,  and  the  very  interesting 
and  valuable  Renaissance  panels  of  the  pews,  put  in  by 
William  Kingsmill,  last  prior  and  first  dean,  in  1540.  The 
chantries  and  tombs  in  this  church  are  of  unusual  beauty 
and  interest."— (G.  W.  K.) 

At  the  west  end  of  the  north  aisle  a  square  stone 
gallery  called  the  tribune  is  part  of  Edington's 
work.  It  was  used  as  a  Minstrels'  Gallery  on 
great  occasions. 

The  nave  Pulpit  was  a  gift  from  New  College, 
Oxford,  in  1885. 

In  the  north  aisle  there  is  a  monumental  brass  in 
memory  of  Jane  Austen,  the  authoress,  and  near 
the  south-west  door  are  fixed  the  flags  of  the 
97th  Regiment  and  memorials  of  the  Crimean  War. 
The  west  window  of  the  south  aisle  is  filled  with 
stained  glass  to  their  memory. 

On  the  south  side  of  the  Nave  and  in  the  second 
bay  from  the  Choir  is  Bishop  Edington's  Chantry. 
It  was  somewhat  altered  when  the  piers  against 
which  it  stands  were  transformed  from  Norman 
to  Perpendicular.  This  is  the  first  of  a  number 
of  very  fine  chantries,  the  most  interesting  of  which 
is  that  of  William  of  Wykeham,  which  occupies 
the  entire  space  between  two  piers  of  the  Nave  on 
the  south  side  in  the  fifth  bay  from  the  west  end. 

This  chapel  was  built  by  Wykeham  on  the  site 
of  an  altar  dedicated  to  the  Virgin,  where  he  used 
to  worship  when  a  boy. 

"The  design  of  William's  chantry  is  very  beautiful ;  and 
it  is  one  of  the  best  remaining  specimens  of  a  Fourteenth 
Century  monumental  chapel.  The  foundation  of  the 


WINCHESTER  55 

altar  is  still  visible.  The  Bishop's  effigy,  the  comeliness 
of  which,  it  has  been  suggested,  may  have  induced  An- 
thony Wood  to  describe  him  as  having  been  of  '  a  courtly 
presence,'  reposes  on  an  altar-tomb  in  the  centre,  arrayed 
in  cope  and  mitre.  The  pillow  at  the  head  is  supported 
by  two  angels.  At  the  feet  three  monks  are  represented 
offering  up  prayers  for  the  repose  of  the  departed  soul. 
They  are  said,  but  questionably,  to  represent  Wykeham's 
three  assistants  in  the  cathedral  works — William  Wynford, 
his  architect;  Simon  de  Membury,  his  surveyor  of  the 
works;  and  John  Wayte,  controller." — (R.  J.  K.) 

The  Choir  is  entered  through  a  screen  of  stone- 
work, by  Garbett,  decorated  with  figures  of  James 
I.  and  Charles  I.,  taken  from  an  older  screen  by 
Inigo  Jones.  The  figure  of  Charles  I.  was  much 
injured  by  the  Parliamentary  troops  who  stabled 
their  horses  in  the  cathedral.  It  was  made  by  Hu- 
bert Le  Seur,  a  pupil  of  John  of  Bologna  and  much 
employed  by  Charles  I. 

The  Choir  consists  of  the  old  choir  of  the  monks 
under  the  tower  and  of  the  presbytery  beyond  it. 
This  portion  of  the  cathedral  is  of  various  dates : 
the  tower  is  late  Norman;  the  piers,  arches  and 
clerestory  of  the  presbytery  are  Decorated  (about 
1350)  ;  the  screen  enclosing  it  is  Perpendicular  (the 
work  of  Bishop  Fox  about  1524)  ;  the  vaulting  of 
the  presbytery  (also  the  work  of  Bishop  Fox)  ;  and 
the  ceiling  under  the  tower,  dates  from  1634. 

The  visitor  is  struck  by  the  enormous  piers  of 
the  Tower,  rebuilt  after  1107  when  Walkelyn's 
tower,  under  which  William  Rufus  was  buried,  fell. 
Many  thought  "  that  the  fall  of  the  tower  was  a 
judgment  for  his  sins." 

"  Early  in  the  Twelfth  Century  occurred  the  fall  of  the 
tower  of  this  Cathedral,  celebrated  from  the  peculiar  cir- 
cumstances with  which  it  was  accompanied,  which  are  thus 


56  WINCHESTER 

described  by  William  of  Malmsbury,  who  was  living  at  the 
time: — 'A  few  country  men  conveyed  the  body  [of  the 
King,  William  Rufus],  placed  on  a  cart,  to  the  cathedral 
of  Winchester,  the  blood  dripping  all  the  way.  Here  it 
was  committed  to  the  ground  within  the  tower,  attended 
by  many  of  the  nobility,  but  lamented  by  few.  The  next 
year  (1097)  the  tower  fell;  though  I  forbear  to  mention 
the  different  opinions  on  this  subject,  lest  I  should  seem 
to  assent  too  readily  to  unsupported  trifles;  most  espe- 
cially that  the  building  might  have  fallen  through  imper- 
fect construction,  even  though  he  had  never  been  buried 
there.'  That  this  was  really  the  case,  the  building  itself 
affords  us  abundant  evidence,  and  proves  that  'even  the 
Normans  at  this  period  were  still  bad  masons  and  very 
imperfectly  acquainted  with  the  principles  of  construc- 
tion. The  tower  which  was  rebuilt  soon  after  the  fall  is 
still  standing,  and  the  enormous  masses  of  masonry  which 
were  piled  together  to  support  it,  and  prevent  it  from 
falling  again,  show  such  an  amazing  waste  of  labour  and 
material  as  clearly  to  prove  that  it  was  the  work  of  very 
unskilful  builders."— (J.  H.  P.) 

The  tower  was  originally  intended  to  serve  as  a 
lantern ;  but  was  ceiled  over  in  the  reign  of  Charles 
I.  In  the  centre  is  a  medallion  of  the  Holy  Family, 
the  date  1634,  and  medallions  of  Charles  I.  and 
Henrietta  Maria. 

The  very  narrow  arches  opening  to  the  transepts 
should  be  noticed. 

The  Choir  Stalls  are  magnificent. 

"  The  stalls  which  extend  from  the  eastern  tower-piers 
to  the  first  pier  of  the  nave,  are  of  oak,  as  black  as 
ebony,  and  probably  exhibit  the  very  finest  woodwork  of 
their  date  and  style  (which  is  the  best)  in  the  Kingdom. 
They  are  early  Decorated  (Geometrical)  work  and  their 
canopies  and  gables  bear  considerable  resemblance  to 
those  of  the  tomb  of  Edmund  Crouchback  in  Westminster 
Abbey.  This  would  place  their  date  about  1296.  The 
beauty  and  variety  of  the  carvings  are  wonderful.  There 
is  no  repetition;  and  the  grace  and  elegance,  as  well  as 


WINCHESTER  57 

the  fidelity,  with  which  the  foliage  is  represented,  are  no- 
where to  be  surpassed.  The  human  heads  are  full  of 
expression ;  and  the  monkeys  and  other  animals  sporting 
among  the  branches  have  all  the  same  exquisite  finish. 
The  mode  in  which  the  cusps  of  the  circles  in  the  canopies 
are  terminated,  is  worthy  of  attention ;  and  in  short,  at 
this  period  of  the  revival  of  wood -carving,  no  better  ex- 
amples could  be  found  for  study  and  imitation.  The 
misereres  below  are  of  early  character  and  interesting. 
Their  date  is  rather  later  than  those  (Early  English)  in 
Exeter  Cathedral — the  most  ancient  in  the  Kingdom.  The 
desks  and  stools  in  front  of  the  upper  range  bear  the 
initials  of  Henry  VIII. ,  Bishop  Stephen  Gardiner,  and 
Dean  Kingsmill  and  the  date  1540.  The  rich  pulpit  on  the 
north  side  bears  the  name  of  its  donor  '  Thomas  Silkstede, 
prior'  on  different  parts  of  it." — (R.  J.  K.) 

The  Presbytery  is  Early  English,  the  work  of 
Bishop  Lucy  (1189-1204).  It  has  a  central  alley 
of  three  bays.  The  arcading  is  very  graceful.  The 
presbytery  is  closed  at  the  sides  by  screens  of  stone 
tracery,  most  of  them  erected  by  Bishop  Fox,  and 
bear  his  motto,  Est  Deo  Gratia.  Upon  these  screens 
stand  six  mortuary  chests  (also  the  work  of  Bishop 
Fox)  containing  the  bones  of  the  West  Saxon 
Kings  and  bishops  removed  from  the  crypt  of  the 
old  Saxon  cathedral  into  Walkelyn's  church  by 
Bishop  Henry  de  Blois  and  placed  in  leaden  sar- 
cophagi. The  chests  are  of  wood,  carved,  painted 
and  gilded  in  the  Renaissance  Style,  which  was  be- 
ing introduced  into  England  in  Fox's  time. 

"The  vaulting  of  the  presbytery  (of  wood)  is  the  work 
of  Bishop  Fox  (1500-1520),  and  displays  on  its  bosses,  a 
mass  of  heraldry  besides  (at  the  east  end)  the  various  em- 
blems of  the  Passion  together  with  a  number  of  faces 
representing  Pilate  and  his  wife,  Herod,  Annas  and 
Caiaphas,  Judas,  Malchus  with  the  sword  of  Peter  dividing 
his  ear,  Peter  himself  and  many  others.  All  are  curious 
and  are  best  seen  from  the  gallery  below  the  east  window. 


58  WINCHESTER 

"The  east  window  of  the  choir  is  filled  with  Perpen- 
dicular glass,  a  little  earlier  than  1525,  the  work  of  Bishop 
Fox,  whose  arms  impaled  with  those  of  the  sees  he  held 
(Exeter,  Bath  and  Wells,  Durham  and  Winchester)  and 
his  motto  Est  Deo  Gratia  are  introduced  in  it." — (R.  J.  K.) 

Winston  thinks  that  the  only  part  of  the  glass 
in  its  original  position  consists  of  the  two  figures 
occupying  the  two  southernmost  of  the  lower  lights 
and  all  the  tracery  lights  except  the  top  central 
one  and  the  three  immediately  below  it. 

"  The  top  central  light  is  filled  principally  with  some  glass 
of  Wykeham's  time  and  all  the  rest  of  the  window  with 
glass  of  Fox's  time,  removed  from  other  windows.  In 
point  of  execution  it  is  as  nearly  as  perfect  as  painted 
glass  can  be.  In  it  the  shadows  have  attained  their  proper 
limit.  It  was  at  this  period  that  glass  painting  attained  its 
highest  perfection  as  an  art." — (C.  W.) 

Beyond  the  tower-piers  in  the  presbytery  $.  plain 
tomb  of  Purbeck  marble  was  once  the  resting-place 
of  William  Rufus,  killed  in  the  New  Forest  in 
noo  and  first  buried,  as  we  have  seen,  under  the 
Tower.  His  bones  were  removed  in  the  Twelfth 
Century  by  his  nephew  Bishop  Henry  de  Blois 
and  are  now  mingled  with  those  of  Canute,  Queen 
Emma  and  two  Saxon  bishops  in  one  of  the  mortu- 
ary chests  on  the  screen  of  the  Presbytery. 

The  piers  and  arches  of  the  Presbytery  are  Deco- 
rated, dating  from  1320  and  1350. 

At  the  High  Altar  of  the  Choir  Queen  Mary 
was  married  to  Philip  of  Spain  in  July,  1554,  by 
Bishop  Gardiner.  In  Philip's  train  were  Alva,  the 
future  scourge  of  the  Low  Countries,  and  Egmont, 
his  famous  victim.  The  chair  in  which  the  bride 
sat  is  preserved  in  the  Chapel  of  the  Guardian 
Angels. 


WINCHESTER  59 

At  the  back  of  the  altar  rises  the  magnificent 
Reredos,  dating  from  the  latter  end  of  the  Fif- 
teenth Century.  In  1899  the  final  restoration  of 
the  screen  was  completed  by  filling  a  niche  that 
had  been  vacant  for  three  centuries.  The  altar- 
rails  are  of  the  time  of  Charles  I.  A  representation 
of  the  Incarnation  hangs  over  the  altar  placed  there 
in  1899,  when  Benjamin  West's  Raising  of  Lazarus 
was  removed  to  the  South  Transept. 

"  The  Reredos  is  said  to  have  been  commenced  by 
Cardinal  Beaufort  and  completed  by  Bishop  Fox  and 
Prior  Silkstede.  It  is  an  excellent  specimen  of  Per- 
pendicular work,  executed  in  a  fine,  white  soft  stone;  its 
elaborately  canopied  niches,  pierced  and  crocketted  pin- 
nacles, pilaster  buttresses,  and  centre  projecting  canopy, 
are  surmounted  at  a  height  reaching  nearly  to  the  corbels, 
with  a  triple  frieze  of  running  leaves,  Tudor  flowers  and 
quatrefoils.  This  Reredos  is  of  the  same  type  as  those 
at  Christ  Church  Priory  and  St.  Alban's,  but  its  dimen- 
sions are  greater  and  better  proportioned.  Its  restoration 
is  carried  out  with  remarkable  fidelity  to  the  original 
work.  The  back  is  closely  panelled  in  the  upper  part,  and 
the  lower  part  is  richly  decorated.  No  description  could 
do  justice  to  the  beauty  and  effect  of  the  whole  work. 
Milner  describes  its  exquisite  workmanship  as  being  as 
magnificent  as  this  or  any  other  nation  can  exhibit.  The 
central  part  was  restored  as  a  memorial  to  the  late  Arch- 
deacon Jacob."— (G.  W.  K.) 

On  either  side  of  the  altar  a  door  opens  to  the 
space  behind  the  Reredos,  which  in  early  days  was 
the  Feretory,  a  place  for  the  feretra,  or  shrines  of 
the  patron  saints. 

"  The  Feretory,  or  Capitular  Chapel,  is  immediately 
behind  the  altar  and  communicates  with  the  sanctuary. 
Here  the  magnificent  shrine  of  St.  Swithun,  of  solid  silver 
gilt  and  garnished  with  precious  stones,  the  gift  of  King 
Edgar,  used  to  be  kept  except  on  the  festivals  of  the 


60  WINCHESTER 

saint,  when  it  was  exposed  to  view  on  the  Altar,  or  be- 
fore  it. 

"  Many  portions  of  statuary  formerly  belonging  to  the 
Great  Screen  and  other  parts  of  the  building  are  here 
carefully  preserved.  From  the  platform  behind  the  reredos 
may  be  observed  the  admirable  connection  of  Fox's  new 
with  De  Lucy's  earlier  work." — (G.  W.  K.) 

The  old  statue  of  the  bishop,  taken  from  the  west 
front,  may  also  be  seen  here. 

Back  of  the  Reredos  again  stands  the  famous 
Edwardian  Arcade,  with  nine  canopies  (or  taber- 
nacles). Beneath  it  is  the  ancient  entrance,  the 
"  Holy  Hole,"  leading  into  the  Crypt. 

The  presbytery  aisles  are  greatly  admired.  Here 
we  find  beautiful  examples  of  Early  English  work 
and  many  splendid  monuments  and  chantries.  Be- 
yond lies  the  Lady-Chapel,  with  the  Chapel  of  the 
Guardian  Angels  on  the  north  side  and  the  Bishop 
de  Langton's  Chantry  on  the  south. 

The  Lady-Chapel  (1470)  was  founded  by  Eliza- 
beth of  York,  Queen  of  Henry  VII.,  after  the  birth 
of  her  son,  Arthur,  as  a  testimony  of  her  grati- 
tude. The  arms  of  Henry  VII.,  Elizabeth  and  the 
Prince  of  Wales — the  feathers  divided  by  roses — 
are  among  the  ornaments. 

A  plain  slab  of  grey  marble  in  front  of  the  Lady- 
Chapel  is  supposed  to  mark  the  Tomb  of  Bishop 
de  Lucy,  the  builder  of  all  this  part  of  the 
Cathedral.  At  the  back  of  the  Lady-Chapel  a 
Reredos  was  placed  by  Dean  Branston  in  1876. 

Ascending  the  steps  from  the  transept,  we  reach 
the  north  aisle  of  the  presbytery,  and  gain  a  fine 
view  beyond  this  of  the  eastern  portion  of  the 
church,  with  its  splendid  chantries  and  chapels. 

With  the  exception  of  the  extreme  east  end  of 


WINCHESTER  61 

the  Lady-Chapel,  it  is  all  the  work  of  Bishop  God- 
frey de  Lucy  (1189-1204),  and  consequently  a 
very  early  example  of  Early  English.  The  design 
and  details  are  of  great  beauty.  The  three  aisles 
or  alleys  (called  procession  paths  or  the  via  pro- 
cessionum)  are  separated  from  each  other  by  three 
arches  on  each  side  and  terminate  eastward  in 
chapels.  These  aisles  were  formed  in  order  to  fa- 
cilitate the  circulation  of  processions. 

The  north  chapel  (part  of  De  Lucy's  work)  is 
called  that  of  the  Guardian  Angels,  from  the  fig- 
ures of  angels  still  remaining  on  the  vaulting;  the 
south  chapel  (De  Lucy's  work)  was  fitted  up  as 
a  chantry  by  Bishop  Langton,  who  died  in  1500. 
The  woodwork  is  rich  and  beautiful  and  the  vault 
elaborate  with  carved  rebuses  on  his  name. 

"The  north  and  south  walls,  as  far  as  the  east  walls  of 
the  two  side  chapels,  are  De  Lucy's  work,  and  retain  his 
rich  Early  English  arcade.  The  eastern  compartment  on 
each  side,  as  well  as  the  east  wall,  have  respectively  a 
large  Perpendicular  window  of  seven  lights  with  transom 
and  tracery  of  a  peculiar  kind  of  subordination,  or  rather 
interpretation  of  patterns  well  worth  a  careful  study. 
The  vault  is  a  complex  and  beautiful  specimen  of  lierne- 
work.  The  capitals  and  bases  of  the  vaulting-shafts  are 
unusual  and  very  beautiful.  The  carved  panelling  of  the 
western  half  of  this  chapel,  the  seats,  desk  and  screen  of 
separation,  are  all  excellent,  and  should  be  noticed.  All 
this  Perpendicular  work  is  due  to  Prior  Hunton  (1470- 
1498)  and  his  successor,  Prior  Silkstede  (1498-1524).  On 
the  vault  round  the  two  central  keys — one  representing 
the  Almighty,  the  other  the  Blessed  Virgin — are  the 
rebuses  of  the  two  priors:  the  letter  T,  the  syllable  Hun, 
the  figure  of  a  ton  for  Thomas  Hunton;  the  figure  I 
and  the  letters  Por  for  Prior:  the  letter  T,  the  syllable 
silk,  the  word  sted  with  a  horse  below  it,  the  figure  i 
with  letters  as  before,  for  Thomas  Silkstede,  prior.  The 
walls  of  this  chapel  are  covered  with  the  remains  of  some 


62  WINCHESTER 

very  curious   paintings   illustrating  the   legendary  history 
of  the  Virgin. 

"  These  are  all  the  work  of  Prior  Silkstede,  whose  por- 
trait, with  an  inscription,  is  still  faintly  visible  over  the 
piscina." — (R.  J.  K.) 

Between  the  pillars  of  the  central  aisle  are  the 
Chantries  of  Waynflete  and  Beaufort.  Both  were 
much  injured  by  Cromwell's  troops  and  have  been 
restored.  The  delicacy  and  beauty  of  Waynflete's 
canopy  should  be  noted.  The  lily,  his  device,  con- 
stantly appears.  His  effigy  lies  here. 

Beaufort  appears  in  his  Cardinal's  robes.  He 
was  half-brother  to  Henry  IV.  and  was  bishop, 
statesman,  soldier  and  banker  to  the  royal  family. 
He  is  said  to  have  burst  into  tears  at  the  burn- 
ing of  Joan  of  Arc  at  Rouen  and  to  have  left  the 
scene.  However,  he  persecuted  the  Lollards.  Be- 
tween these  two  chantries  lies  the  effigy  of  a 
Thirteenth  Century  Knight  in  chain-mail  and 
cross-legged.  It  is  the  only  ancient  military  figure 
in  the  cathedral.  He  is  either  Sir  W.  de  Foix  or 
Sir  Arnold  de  Gavaston. 

Beyond  the  pier  which  connects  De  Lucy's  work 
with  the  Presbytery  on  the  north  side  is  the 
Chantry  of  Bishop  Gardiner  (1531-1555),  the 
"  hammer  of  heretics,"  secretary  to  Cardinal  Wol- 
sey  and  Henry  VIII. 's  ambassador  to  the  Pope 
regarding  his  marriage.  Bishop  Gardiner  also  mar- 
ried "  Bloody  Mary  "  to  the  King  of  Spain. 

Opposite  is  Bishop  Fox's  Chantry,  built  by  Fox 
himself.  It  is  the  most  elaborate  chantry  in  the 
Cathedral.  The  arches  were  once  filled  with  stained 
glass.  The  Bishop's  emblem,  the  pelican,  appears 
everywhere.  Fox  was  secretary  and  Lord  Privy 
Seal  to  Henry  VII.  and  founder  of  Corpus  Christi, 


WINCHESTER  63 

Oxford.  This  college  restored  the  Bishop's  chan- 
try. Blind  several  years  before  his  death,  Fox  used 
to  be  led  every  day  to  the  small  oratory  attached  to 
his  Chantry. 

The  visitor  should  study  these  chantries,  begin- 
ning with  Edington's  in  the  Nave  and  ending  with 
Gardiner's,  for  they  form  a  continuous  record  of 
the  growth  and  development  of  Perpendicular  and 
Tudor  architecture  from  1366  to  1555. 

"In  no  English  church  except  Westminster  Abbey  and 
St.  Paul's,  lie  so  many  men  of  name.  For  just  as  the 
features  of  the  Cathedral  represent  all  the  successive 
phases  and  changes  of  the  art  of  building,  until  it  has 
been  styled  a  '  School  of  English  Architecture/  so  it  may 
be  said  to  be  the  home  and  centre  of  our  early  history. 
Long  is  the  roll  of  kings  and  statesmen  who  came  hither 
and  whose  bones  here  lie  at  rest.  Cynegils  and  Cenwalh, 
West  Saxon  Kings,  founders  of  the  church,  are  here; 
Egbert  was  buried  here  in  838 ;  Ethelwulf  also  and  Edward 
the  Elder  and  Edred.  The  body  of  Alfred  the  Great 
lay  a  while  in  the  church,  then  was  transferred  to  the 
new  minster  he  had  built,  and  finally  rested  at  Hyde 
Abbey.  And,  most  splendid  name  of  all,  the  great  Cnut 
was  buried  here,  as  was  also  his  son,  Harthacnut,  as  bad 
and  mean  as  his  father  was  great.  The  roll  of  kings  was 
closed  when  Red  William's  blood-dripping  corpse  came 
jolting  hither  in  the  country  cart  from  New  Forest." — 
(G.  W.  K.) 

The  two  Transepts  are  similar.  Both  have  east 
and  west  aisles  and  both  are  of  two  periods.  The 
earlier  parts  are  plain  rude  Norman,  massive  and 
grand  in  effect.  The  arches,  both  of  triforium  and 
clerestory,  are  square-edged  like  the  pier-arches 
below  them.  They  should  be  compared  with  Ely 
Cathedral,  the  work  of  Walkelyn's  brother,  Simeon. 
It  is  interesting  to  note  that  the  central  towers  of 


64  WINCHESTER 

both  fell, — Walkelyn's  in  1107  and  Simeon's  in 
1321. 

The  North  Transept  contains  five  altars.  On 
the  south  side  against  the  organ  screen  is  the 
Chapel  of  the  Holy  Sepulchre,  the  walls  of  which 
are  covered  with  rude  wall-paintings  illustrative  of 
the  passion  of  our  Saviour. 

The  South  Transept  is  similar  to  the  North  tran- 
sept. In  its  eastern  aisles  are  two  chapels  formed 
by  screens  of  stone  tracery  work.  The  south 
chapel  is  called  Silkstede's  Chapel,  from  Prior 
Silkstede,  whose  name,  Thomas,  is  carved  on  the 
screen  with  the  monogram  M.  A.  of  the  Virgin  and 
a  skein  of  silk,  his  rebus.  The  beautiful  iron-work 
is  of  a  later  period.  A  plain  black  marble  slab  in 
Prior  Silkstede's  Chapel  marks  the  Tomb  of  Izaak 
Walton,  "  the  prince  of  fishermen/'  who  died 
in  1683. 

Entrances  from  both  transepts  lead  to  the  crypt. 

In  the  west  aisle  of  the  south  transept  is  the 
Chapter-House  (formerly  the  sacristy),  above 
which  is  the  Library.  The  doorway  in  the  south 
wall  led  to  the  domestic  buildings  of  the  monas- 
tery. 

The  Crypt  is  entered  from  the  north  transept. 
It  is  Norman,  dark  and  massive,  and  suggestive 
of  a  remote  age.  It  is  frequently  flooded;  for  the 
level  of  the  river  seems  to  have  risen  since  the 
Eleventh  Century.  Like  other  crypts,  it  serves  to 
show  the  original  plan  of  the  Norman  Church.  It 
is  in  three  parts:  the  western,  consisting  of  the 
substructure  of  the  original  choir;  a  long  aisleless 
chapel  of  three  bays  beneath  the  present  retro- 
choir;  and  the  substructure  of  Courtenay's  Lady- 
Chapel  built  between  1486  and  1492.  Beneath  the 


a 


o 

a 
u 


W 

C/3 


H 
£ 
O 


WINCHESTER  65 

high  altar  is  the  sacred  well,  the  centre  of  Saxon 
worship  before  the  Cathedral  had  an  existence. 
The  Roofs  of  this  cathedral  also  deserve  a  visit. 

"  In  the  roof  of  the  nave  may  be  seen  the  original  Nor- 
man shafts  running  up  above  Wykeham's  vault,  and  in 
those  of  the  aisles  the  Norman  arches  of  the  triforium, 
best  developed  at  the  east  end  of  the  nave  aisle-roof.  The 
transept  roofs  show  to  this  day  what  Bishop  Walkelyn  did 
with  Hempage-wood.  From  the  leads  of  the  tower  there 
is  a  very  striking  view  over  the  city  and  its  environs." — 
(R.  J.  K.) 

The  Bells  hang  in  the  great  central  tower :  three 
are  dated  1734,  the  others  1737,  1742,  1772,  1804 
and  1814.  The  tenor  bell  was  recast  in  1892. 

Within  the  Precincts  stood  the  Royal  Castle  at 
the  time  of  the  Norman  Conquest.  This  was  pulled 
down  by  Henry  de  Blois  in  the  Twelfth  Century.- 


CHICHESTER 

DEDICATION:  THE  HOLY  TRINITY.    A  CHURCH  SERVED  BY 

SECULAR  CANONS. 
SPECIAL  FEATURES:  FIVE  AISLES;  SPIRE;  CAMPANILE. 

CHICHESTER  (the  camp  of  Cissa)  stands  at  the 
head  of  an  arm  of  the  English  Channel.  Its  Ca- 
thedral is  the  only  one  in  England  that  can  be  seen 
from  the  sea. 

In  1082  the  South  Saxon  See  was  removed  from 
Selsey  to  Chichester.  The  church  of  the  monas- 
tery, dedicated  to  St.  Peter,  seems  to  have  been 
used  until  Bishop  Ralph  Luff  a  (about  whom  little 
or  nothing  is  known)  founded  the  existing  Cathe- 
dral. This  was  completed  in  1108,  partly  de- 
stroyed by  fire  in  1114  and  partly  restored  by  the 
same  Ralph,  who  died  in  1123. 

"  Chichester  Cathedral,  though  one  of  the  smallest,  is 
to  the  student  of  Mediaeval  architecture  one  of  the  most 
interesting  and  important  of  our  cathedrals.  At  Salis- 
bury one  or  two  styles  of  architecture  are  represented ;  at 
Canterbury  two  or  three;  at  Chichester  every  single  style 
is  to  be  seen  without  a  break  from  the  Eleventh  to  the 
Sixteenth  Century.  It  is  an  epitome  of  English  archi- 
tectural history  for  five  hundred  years.  Early  Norman, 
late  Norman,  late  Transitional,  early  Lancet,  late  Lancet, 
early  Geometrical,  late  Geometrical,  Curvilinear,  Perpen- 
dicular and  Tudor  work  all  appear  in  the  structure  side 
by  side.  We  have  many  other  heterogeneous  and  com- 
posite cathedrals,  but  nowhere,  except  perhaps  at  Hereford, 
can  the  whole  sequence  of  Mediaeval  styles  be  read  so  well 
as  at  Chichester." — (F.  B.) 

Chichester  was  consecrated  in  1148,  again  suf- 
fered from  fire  in  1186-1187  and  was  restored  and 
enlarged  by  Bishop  Seffrid  II.  (11801204), 

66 


CHICHESTER  67 

"The  fire  of  1186  was  not  as  serious  as  that  of  Can- 
terbury in  1182,  so  that  there  was  no  need  of  rebuilding. 
Bishop  Seffrid,  however,  covered  the  Cathedral  with  a 
stone  vault  and  added  the  necessary  buttresses  and  flying- 
buttresses.  He  also  built  the  Choir,  making  great  use  of 
Purbeck  marble.  He  removed  the  Norman  apse  and  built 
the  aisled  retro-choir  of  two  bays. 

"  This  is  the  architectural  gem  of  the  Cathedral.  The 
idea  of  it  probably  came  from  Hereford,  where  the  retro- 
choir  is  a  few  years  earlier.  At  Hereford,  however,  the 
retro-choir  projects  picturesquely  and  forms  an  eastern 
transept.  The  central  piers  of  the  Chichester  retro-choir 
are  remarkably  beautiful.  They  consist  of  a  central 
column  surrounded  by  four  shafts  very  widely  detached;, 
columns  and  shafts  are  of  Purbeck  marble.  The  capitals 
are  Corinthianesque ;  their  height  is  proportioned  to  the 
diameters  of  the  column  and  shafts.  This  beautiful  capi- 
tal was  reproduced  a  few  years  later  by  St.  Hugh  at 
Lincoln.  The  triforium  is  of  quite  exceptional  beauty,  as 
indeed  is  the  whole  design.  Semicircular  arches  occur 
in  the  pier  arcade  and  triforium,  and  some  of  the  abaci 
are  square;  otherwise  the  design  is  pure  Gothic.  Here,  as 
at  Abbey  Dore,  St.  Thomas's,  Portsmouth,  Boxgrove  and 
Wells,  we  see  the  transition  to  the  '  pure  and  undefiled 
Gothic '  of  St.  Hugh's  choir  at  Lincoln.  In  these  beautiful 
churches  the  ancient  Romanesque  style  breathed  its  last. 

"  The  aisles  of  the  new  retro-choir  were  continued  on 
either  side  of  the  first  bay  of  the  Norman  Lady-Chapel 
whose  three  bays  had  probably  been  remodelled  before  the 
fire  in  Transitional  fashion.  The  capitals  of  the  Lady- 
Chapel  are  of  exceptional  interest  and  importance,  as 
showing  experimental  foliation  which  had  not  yet  settled 
down  into  the  conventional  leafage  of  early  Gothic.  The 
apse  also  of  the  south  transept  was  replaced  by  a  square 
chapel,  now  used  as  a  Library,  in  the  vaulting  of  which 
the  Norman  zigzag  occurs. 

"  A  little  later  in  the  Lancet  period  was  built  (1199-1245) 
the  lovely  south  porch,  with  small  exquisite  mouldings,  and 
the  charming  foliated  capitals  and  corbels.  The  difference 
between  early  Transitional,  late  Transitional  and  Lancet 
foliation  may  be  well  seen  by  examining  successively  the 
capitals  of  the  Lady-Chapel,  the  triforium  of  the  retro- 


68  CHICHESTER 

choir  and  the  south  porch.  The  north  porch  is  almost 
equally  fine.  The  vaulting  ribs,  square  in  section,  show  that 
the  two  porches  both  belong  to  the  very  first  years  of  the 
Thirteenth  Century.  Rather  later,  the  sacristy  was  built 
on  to  the  south  porch,  with  a  massive  vault  supported  by 
foliated  corbels."— (F.  B.) 

Chichester's  saint  was  one  of  its  own  bishops — 
Richard  de  la  Wych — who  died  in  1253.  He  was 
canonized  in  1261.  In  1276,  his  remains  were 
removed  from  their  first  resting-place  to  the  shrine 
in  the  south  transept  opposite  the  beautiful  Early 
Decorated  window  (one  of  the  loveliest  examples 
of  this  style  in  England).  Edward  I.,  his  Queen 
and  the  Court  were  present  at  the  Translation. 
From  that  time  the  shrine  received  many  visits 
from  pilgrims. 

The  central  tower  was  built  during  the  first  half 
of  the  Fourteenth  Century,  and  the  spire  was  com- 
pleted at  the  end  of  the  Fourteenth  Century.  The 
campanile  was  built  by  Bishop  John  de  Langton 
(1305-1336).  Bishop  Sherborne  (1507-1536) 
added  the  upper  portion  of  the  choir-stalls  and  the 
decorations  of  the  south  transept.  These  are  the 
ornamentations  referred  to  by  Fuller,  who  quaintly 
says  Bishop  Seffrid  "  bestowed  the  cloth  and  mak- 
ing on  the  church,  while  Bishop  Sherborne  gave  the 
trimming  and  best  lace  thereto,  in  the  reign  of 
Henry  VII." 

In  1643,  the  Parliamentarian  troops  broke  the 
organ,  defaced  the  monuments  and  hacked  the  seats 
and  stalls,  which,  of  course,  necessitated  restora- 
tions and  repairs.  Repairs,  restorations  and  al- 
terations were  also  made  from  1843  to  1856,  the 
most  important  of  which  was  the  reconstruction  of 
the  central  tower  and  spire  under  Sir  Gilbert  Scott. 


CHICHESTER  69 

In  1867  the  floor  of  the  Lady-Chapel  was  lowered 
to  its  original  level  and  the  Gilbert  Chapel  restored ; 
and  during  the  last  half  of  the  Nineteenth  Century, 
the  cloister  was  restored  and  the  roof  of  the  Lady- 
Chapel,  and  a  new  north-western  tower  designed 
by  Mr.  J.  L.  Pearson. 

"The  Cathedral  stands  on  the  south  of  West  Street, 
where  a  fine  view  may  be  had  of  the  whole  of  the  north 
side  of  the  building  and  of  the  detached  Campanile.  The 
Close  occupies  entirely  the  south-west  quadrant  of  the 
city,  being  bounded  by  South  and  West  Streets  and  the 
City  Wall.  The  central  tower  and  spire,  rising  to  a 
height  of  277  feet,  are  conspicuous  for  many  miles  around, 
but  the  west  front  is  much  shut  in.  Perhaps  the  most 
pleasing  view  is  that  seen  from  the  meadows  on  the  south 
of  the  city,  from  which  point  the  Campanile  fits  in  ad- 
mirably with  the  general  mass  of  the  building." — (J.  C.-B.) 

This  Campanile,  in  which  eight  bells  hang,  stands 
on  the  north  side  of  the  Cathedral,  and  was  built 
in  the  Fourteenth  Century.  It  covers  a  square  of 
50  feet  and  consists  of  two  cubes  with  an  oc- 
tagonal lantern  (8  feet). 

The  Central  Tower  and  its  delicate  Spire  have 
had  a  peculiar  history.  Exposed  to  the  south-west 
gales  from  the  Channel,  the  authorities  in  the  Sev- 
enteenth Century  had  fears  for  its  safety;  and, 
consequently  the  upper  part  was  taken  down  and 
rebuilt  by  Sir  Christopher  Wren,  who  placed  within 
it  a  pendulum-stage  of  wood  and  iron  to  steady 
it.  This  ingenious  invention  lasted  until  1861 ;  and 
it  is  said  that  Wren's  contrivance  prevented  the 
spire  from  toppling  over  when  the  collapse  oc- 
curred. 

About  1859  this  spire  showed  signs  of  weak- 
ness, and  underpinning  was  of  no  avail  On  the 


70  CHICHESTER 

2  ist  of  February  it  inclined  slightly  to  the  south- 
west, then  seemed  to  right  itself;  and  then,  amid 
a  great  cloud  of  dust,  descended  perpendicularly 
into  the  walls  of  the  tower,  doing  no  harm  to  the 
roof  of  the  church.  The  fall  only  lasted  a  few  sec- 
onds. As  this  happened  in  Queen  Victoria's  reign, 
the  old  Sussex  prophecy  was  fulfiled: 

"If  Chichester  Church  steeple  fall 
In  England  there's  no  King  at  all." 

The  rebuilding  was  entrusted  to  Sir  Gilbert 
Scott  with  a  stipulation  that  the  new  tower  and 
spire  should  be  exact  reproductions  of  the  origi- 
nals. Scott,  however,  added  six  feet  to  the  height. 

"The  central  tower,  which  is  battlemented,  with  oc- 
tagonal turrets  at  the  angles,  also  batflemented,  has  in  its 
principal  or  second  story,  two  couplets  in  each  face,  with 
a  quatrefoil  in  the  head,  each  under  a  pointed  arch.  The 
spire  is  of  beautiful  design,  octagonal ;  in  each  face  is  a 
window  of  two  lights,  flanked  by  pinnacled  turrets, 
crocketed  and  canopied.  Its  elegance  has  constantly  led 
to  its  being  compared  with  that  of  Salisbury,  which,  how- 
ever, differs  from  it  in  age  and  many  other  particulars,  as 
well  as  size.  It  forms  not  only  the  central  but  the  prin- 
cipal feature  of  the  church,  all  whose  lines  are  designed 
to  work  in  with  it,  a  very  perfect  effect  of  unity,  as  at 
Salisbury,  being  attained.  It  is  locally  said  that  the  master 
built  Salisbury  and  the  man,  Chichester." — (W.  J.  L.) 

The  West  Front  is  composed  of  three  stories,  a 
gable,  porch  and  two  towers.  The  northern  tower 
is  modern,  copied  from  its  twin,  which  is  Early 
English  above  the  third  story.  The  great  West 
Window  is  modern,  copied  from  Fourteenth  Cen- 
tury examples.  The  central  porch  (Early  Eng- 
lish) is  of  the  same  date  and  character  as  the  south 
porch,  which  opens  into  the  cloisters.  The  north 


CHICHESTER  71 

porch  (Early  English)  lies  between  the  aisle  and 
the  north-west  tower. 

The  north  wall  of  the  nave  has  some  curious 
buttresses.  In  the  south  transept  notice  a  richly 
traceried  window  (Decorated),  of  seven  lights, 
with  a  beautiful  rose  window  above.  A  trefoiled 
string-course  ornaments  the  parapet  in  the  tran- 
sept and  choir.  The  East  Window  consists  of  three 
laficet  windows,  with  a  rose  window  of  seven 
foliated  circles  of  the  choir  in  the  gable;  it  is 
flanked  by  arcaded  pinnacles  with  small  spires. 

The  first  view  of  the  interior  of  Chichester  is 
somewhat  severe. 

"  On  entering  the  nave  the  eye  is  at  once  caught  by  the 
five  aisles,  a  peculiarity  shared  by  no  other  English  cathe- 
dral but  that  of  Manchester,  although  some  parish  churches 
have  it  on  a  smaller  scale,  as  Taunton  and  Coventry.  On 
the  Continent  the  increased  number  of  aisles  is  common, 
witness  Beauvais,  Cologne,  Milan,  Seville,  and  seven- 
aisled  Antwerp.  Grand  effects  of  light  and  shade  are  pro- 
duced by  these  five  aisles :  remark  especially  the  view  from 
the  extreme  north-east  corner  of  the  north  aisle,  looking 
across  the  cathedral.  The  great  depth  of  the  triforium 
shadows  is  owing  to  the  unusual  width  of  this  wall 
passage.  The  breadth  of  the  nave  (91  feet)  is  greater  than 
that  of  any  English  cathedral  except  York  (103  feet). 

"  The  first  two  stories  of  the  south-west  tower  at  the 
end  of  the  nave  deserve  examination.  The  rude,  long 
capitals,  and  plain  circular  arches,  probably  indicate  that 
it  formed  a  part  of  the  first  church  completed  by  Bishop 
Ralph  in  1108.  The  nave  itself,  as  far  as  the  top  of  the 
triforium,  and  the  two  aisles  immediately  adjoining,  are 
the  work  of  the  same  Bishop  (died  1123), — or  should 
perhaps  be  described  as  having  formed  part  of  the  Nor- 
man cathedral  completed  in  1148.  The  clerestory  above,  and 
the  shafts  of  Purbeck  marble  which  lighten  the  piers,  are 
Seffrid's  additions  (died  1204).  The  vaulting  is  perhaps 
somewhat  later;  and  it  was  because  it  was  determined, 
after  the  burning  of  1187,  to  replace  with  a  stone  vault  the 


72  CHICHESTER 

wooden  roofs  to  which  the  frequent  fires  had  been  owing 
that  Seffrid  carried  up  his  vaulting-shafts  along  the  face 
of  the  Norman  piers,  some  of  which  he  re-cased.  The 
two  exterior  aisles,  north  and  south,  were  probably  added 
by  Bishop  Neville  (died  1244),  when  it  became  necessary 
to  provide  additional  room  for  chantries  and  relic  shrines. 
The  positions  of  the  various  altars  are  marked  by  piscinas 
and  aumbries  in  the  walls.  The  two,  however,  occur  to- 
gether in  the  south  aisle  alone;  in  the  north  are  aumbries 
only,  an  arrangement  possibly  resulting  from  the  feeling 
with  which  that  quarter  was  always  anciently  regarded.  *A 
certainly  triplicity  pervades  all  this  part  of  the  cathedral, 
which  was  dedicated  by  Bishop  Seffrid  to  the  Holy  Trinity. 
The  side  shafts  are  triple  throughout.  The  bearing-shafts 
of  the  vaulting  are  clustered  in  threes,  and  branch  out  with 
three  triple  vaulting-ribs  above.  The  transitional  char- 
acter of  Bishop  Seffrid's  work  is  especially  marked  in  the 
clerestory,  the  inner  arcade  of  which  is  pointed,  whilst  the 
windows  themselves  are  round-headed." — (R.  J.  K.) 

The  nave  is  full  of  monuments  and  tablets,  some 
of  which  are  by  Flaxman.  The  one  in  the  Chapel 
of  the  Four  Virgins  (north  side)  is  a  memorial  to 
Collins  the  poet.  Near  it  are  the  two  figures  of 
the  Earl  of  Arundel  and  Maud,  his  wife.  Arundel 
was  beheaded  in  1297.  He  is  represented  in  full 
armour  and  at  his  feet  is  a  lion. 

"  The  most  beautiful  monument  now  remaining  in  the 
church  is  that  which  is  said  to  represent  Maud,  Countess 
of  Arundel  (1270).  The  modelling  of  the  whole  figure  and 
the  long  flowing  lines  of  her  robes  are  worthy  of  careful 
study.  The  hands  are  clasped  over  the  breast  with  the 
forearms  bent  upwards  slightly  towards  the  face.  On 
each  of  the  long  sides  of  the  base  supporting  the  figure 
are  six  elongated  quatrefoil  panels,  containing  in  all 
six  female  figures  and  six  shields.  Between  the  quatre- 
foils  are  winged  heads  of  ten  angelic  figures.  The 
blazoning  of  the  shields  is  entirely  gone,  and  the  brilliant 
colouring  that  once  covered  the  entire  monument  is  only 
to  be  traced  in  a  few  places.  The  outer  robe  still  shows 


CHICHESTER, 


u 

&f 


W 

H 

y 

S 
U 


CHICHESTER  73 

some  signs  of  the  rich  blue  with,  which  it  used  to  ;)t  cov- 
ered. The  face  of  the  figure  appears  to  be  badly  mutilated, 
but  the  damage  to  the  features  has  been  done  principally 
by  an  endeavour  to  preserve  them." — (H.  C.  C.) 

In  the  choir  we  find  stalls  that  have  been  in  use 
since  the  Fourteenth  Century.  On  the  backs  of 
the  choir-stalls  pictures  by  Bernardi  represent 
Ceadwalla  and  Henry  VIII.  confirming  privileges 
to  the  bishops  of  their  day. 

In  the  south  transept  is  a  beautiful  window, 
better  seen  from  the  Cloisters  because  the  bad  glass 
spoils  the  effect  of  the  tracery. 

At  the  end  of  the  south  side  in  the  Chapel  of 
St.  Mary  Magdalene  St.  Richard's  head  was  pre- 
served in  a  silver  reliquary  in  the  aumbry  in  the 
north  wall. 

The  Chapel  of  St.  Mary  Magdalene  is  balanced 
by  the  Chapel  of  St.  Katherine  at  the  end  of  the 
north-choir-aisle.  In  the  south-choir-aisle,  two 
curiously  carved  Slabs,  representing  the  Raising  of 
Lazarus  and  Martha  and  Mary  meeting  Jesus,  are 
supposed  to  have  been  brought  from  the  first  Ca- 
thedral in  Selsey  when  the  See  was  transferred  to 
Chichester  in  1082. 

A  doorway  in  the  north-choir-aisle  leads  to  the 
old  Chapel  of  St.  John  the  Baptist  and  St.  Ed- 
mund the  King.  The  vaulting  is  unlike  any  other, 
in  the  Cathedral.  The  zigzag,  or  chevron,  occurs 
upon  the  moulding  of  the  ribs.  A  finely  carved 
head  appears  on  the  spring  of  the  arch.  This  chapel 
is  now  used  as  the  Library. 

"  At  Chichester  there  were  built,  one  after  another,  four 
sets  of  chapels — of  St.  George  and  St.  Clement  on  the 
south  of  the  south  aisle,  and  of  St.  Thomas,  St.  Anne  and 
St.  Edmund  on  the  north  of  the  north  aisle.  The  WINDOWS 


74  -CHICHESTER 

should;  be  .studied  in  -ihe  above  order;  they  form  quite 
an  excellent  object-lesson  of  the  evolution  of  bar-tracery 
from  plate-tracery,  itself  a  derivative  from  such  designs 
as  that  of  the  east  window  of  the  south  transept  chapel. 
When  the  chapels  were  completed,  the  Norman  aisle-walls 
were  pierced,  and  arches  were  inserted  where  Norman 
windows  had  been ;  and  the  Lancet  buttresses,  which  had 
been  added  when  the  nave  vault  was  erected,  now  found 
themselves  inside  the  church,  buttressing  piers  instead  of 
walls.  The  new  windows  on  the  south  side  were  built  so 
high  that  the  vaulting  of  the  chapels  had  to  be  tilted  up  to 
allow  room  for  their  heads ;  externally  they  were  originally 
crowned  with  gables,  the  weatherings  of  which  may  be 
seen  outside.  In  St.  Thomas's  chapel  is  a  charming  ex- 
ample of  a  simple  Thirteenth  Century  reredos." — (F.  B.) 

Above  the  south  porch  there  is  a  small  chamber 
popularly  known  as  the  "Lollards'  Prison." 

Between  the  back  of  the  reredos  (modern)  and 
the  entrance  to  the  Lady-Chapel  is  the  Retro-choir, 
or  presbytery,  which  many  critics  consider  the  chief 
glory  of  Chichester. 

"  The  design  in  detail  of  these  two  bays  is  very  different 
in  character  from  the  three  in  the  choir,  which  are  like 
those  in  the  nave.  The  two  piers  of  Purbeck  marble 
are  circular,  and  about  them  are  grouped  four  detached 
shafts  of  the  same  material.  They  are  united  only  at  the 
base  and  by  the  abacus  above  the  capitals,  which  are  beau- 
tifully carved.  The  main  arches  in  the  two  bays  are  not 
pointed,  but  round,  like  those  in  the  nave  and  choir;  but, 
unlike  the  latter,  they  have  deeply  cut  mouldings  in  three 
•  orders.  The  triforium  arcade  above,  on  the  north  and 
south  sides,  has  moulded  and  carved  details  of  a  similar 
character.  Some  of  the  beautifully  carved  figure-work  still 
remains  in  the  spandrels  between  the  subsidiary  pointed 
arches.  But  the  most  beautiful  piece  of  design  in  all  this 
work  is  in  the  arches  of  the  triforium  passage  across  the 
east  wall,  above  the  entrance  to  the  Lady-Chapel." — (F.  B.) 

St.  Richard's  Shrine  stood  on  a  platform  in  the 
bay  in  the  presbytery  immediately  behind  the  High 


CHICHESTER  75 

Altar.  This  platform  was  removed  at  the  time  of 
the  general  restoration  in  1861-1867. 

The  Lady-Chapel  was  once  decorated  with  de- 
signs in  colour,  remains  of  which  are  still  to  be 
seen.  The  new  Reredos  is  of  alabaster.  The  glass 
of  the  window  is  also  modern.  Here  is  the  Tomb 
of  Bishop  Ralph,  founder  of  the  original  Norman 
church. 

The  visitor  should  walk  around  the  Cloisters  for 
the  sake  of  the  exterior  views  of  the  Cathedral.  The 
south  transept  window  is  well  seen  here.  Note  the 
beautiful  tracery  of  the  circular  window  above  it. 
The  position  of  the  Cloisters,  lying  eastward  under 
the  Transept  .and  Choir,  instead  of  westward  along 
the  Nave,  is  unusual. 

"  The  cloister  which  was  added  in  the  Fifteenth  Cen- 
tury is  of  a  peculiarly  irregular  shape,  and  encloses  the 
south  transept  within  the  paradise.  It  has  been  much  re- 
stored at  different  times.  The  present  roof  is  of  tiles  and 
is  carried  on  common  rafters.  Each  has  a  cross  tie,  and 
the  struts  are  shaped  so  as  to  give  a  pointed  arch  form 
to  each  one.  The  old  Fifteenth  Century  wooden  cornice 
still  remains  in  some  sections.  The  tracery  is  divided  into 
four  compartments  by  mullions,  and  each  head  is  filled 
with  cusped  work.  Round  the  cloister  are  placed  the  old 
houses  of  the  Treasurer,  the  Royal  Chaplains,  and 
Wiccamical  Prebendaries.  Above  the  door  leading  to  the 
house  of  the  Royal  Chaplains  is  an  interesting  monument 
of  the  Tudor  Period.  It  is  a  panel  divided  into  two  com- 
partments by  a  moulded  stone  fragment.  Leading  out  of  the 
south  walk  is  a  doorway,  through  which  the  deanery  may 
be  seen  beyond  the  end  of  a  long  walled  passage  known  as 
ST.  RICHARD'S  WALK.  Looking  back  northwards,  there  is 
fine  view  of  the  spire  and  transept  from  the  end  of  this 
walk."— (H.  C  C.) 

In  the  south-east  corner  the  Cloister  passes  under 
the  west  end  of  St.  Faith's  Chapel,  founded  in  the 
Fourteenth  Century. 


SALISBURY 

DEDICATION:   ST.   MARY;   A   CHURCH  SERVED  BY   SECULAR 

CANONS. 
SPECIAL  FEATURES  :  SPIRE  ;  CHAPTER-HOUSE. 

SALISBURY,  on  the  edge  of  the  great  Salisbury 
Plain,  haunted  by  Ingoldsby's  "  Dead  Drummer " 
and  not  far  from  weird  Stonehenge,  is  famous  for 
its  beautiful  Early  English  Cathedral. 

"  The  visitor  who  sees  it  first  on  a  bright  day  can  never 
forget  the  impression  it  has  made  on  his  mind.  Unlike  the 
architects  of  the  so-called  *  Great  Gothic  Revival/  the 
builders  of  Salisbury  put  their  trust  in  proportion.  In- 
cidentally they  made  their  details  as  elaborate  and  as  per- 
fect as  possible;  but  they  were  subordinated  to  the  gen- 
eral effect,  and  when,  during  the  frightful  ravages  of  the 
'  restorers,'  let  loose  upon  the  church  in  the  past  and 
present  centuries, -many  of  the  best  and  most  precious  of 
these  details  and  ornaments  perished  or  were  renewed,  the 
main  building  survives,  raising  its  exquisitely  graceful 
spire  into  the  blue  sky,  its  thousand  pinnacles  all  pointing 
upward  and  gleaming  white  against  the  deep  green  of  the 
old  trees  and  the  emerald  turf  of  the  surrounding  close. 
England  can  show  no  fairer  sight.  '  How  long,'  asked  an 
American  visitor,  *  does  it  take  to  grow  such  turf  ?  '  *  Oh ! 
not  long,'  was  the  reply ;  '  only  a  couple  of  centuries.'  One 
feels  at  Salisbury  that  whether  the  answer  was  given  there 
or  at  Oxford,  of  no  place  could  it  be  more  true.  Though, 
when  we  look  near  enough,  we  can  see  that  fresh  and 
white  as  is  the  general  effect,  the  masonry  of  Salisbury 
is  of  great  antiquity,  except  of  course  where  it  has  been 
restored;  and  antiquity  adds  another  charm,  for  Salisbury 
was  the  first  complete  cathedral  built  after  the  Romanesque 
tradition  had  died  out,  as  St.  Paul's  is  the  first  built  after 
it  had  been  revived.  In  other  cathedrals  there  are  frag- 
ments of  the  same  style,  and  they  are  always  the  most 

76 


CHICHESTER  :   SCREEN 


B 


Pi 


SALISBURY  77 

beautiful  features  of  the  whole  building.  We  can  recall 
the  western  porch  at  Ely,  and  the  Angel  Choir  at  Lincoln, 
and  the  chapter-house  at  Southwell ;  but,  here,  at  Salis- 
bury, we  have  the  whole  vast  cathedral,  all  in  the  same 
supreme  style,  every  part  fitting  into  its  place,  and  adding 
its  contribution  to  the  general  effect,  never  in  contrast  but 
always  in  harmony  until  the  effect  is  attained.  What  that 
is  may  be  read  in  countless  books  of  travel  or  criticism. 
.  Salisbury  Cathedral,  like  the  Parthenon  and  all  other — 
there  are  not  many — buildings  which  tempt  one  to  call  them 
poems  in  stone — produces  a  different  feeling  in  the  minds 
of  all  who  see  it."— (W.  J.  L.) 

Salisbury  was  built  on  a  site  unoccupied  by  a 
former  church.  The  "  Bishop's  Stool "  had  long 
been  at  Old  Sarum  on  Salisbury  Plain,  a  fortified 
castle  and  cathedral ;  but  the  castle  became  too  im- 
portant and  Bishop  Poore  and  his  canons  removed 
the  See  in  the  early  part  of  the  Thirteenth  Cen- 
tury. An  old  legend  says  that  the  site  of  the  new 
Cathedral  was  determined  by  an  arrow  shot  by  an 
archer  from  the  ramparts  into  the  green  vale  below. 

The  first  stone  was  laid  for  the  Pope,  who  had 
consented  to  the  removal  of  the  church  from  Old 
Sarum;  the  second,  for  Stephen  Langton,  Arch- 
bishop of  Canterbury,  then  with  young  Henry  III. 
in  Wales;  the  third,  for  Bishop  Poore;  the  fourth 
was  laid  by  William  Longespee,  Earl  of  Salis- 
bury; and  the  fifth,  by  the  Countess  Ela,  his  wife. 
When  the  King  returned  from  Wales  many  of  his 
courtiers  visited  Salisbury,  "  and  each  laid  his  stone, 
binding  himself  to  some  special  contribution  for  a 
period  of  seven  years." 

The  building  was  undertaken  by  Elias  of  Dere- 
ham,  clerk  of  the  works ;  and  his  successors  were 
Nicholas  of  Portland  and  Richard  of  Fairleigh. 
The  latter  completed  the  spire  in  1375. 


78  SALISBURY 

The  Cathedral  was  consecrated  in  1258,  by  the 
Archbishop  of  Canterbury  in  the  presence  of  Henry 
III.  and  his  Queen. 

The  Cloisters  and  Chapter-House  were  built  in 
the  Thirteenth  Century  and  the  Spire  (which  seems, 
however,  to  have  formed  part  of  the  original  plan) 
in  the  Fourteenth. 

"  The  history  of  no  English  cathedral  is  so  clear  and  so 
readily  traceable  as  that  of  Salisbury.  It  was  the  first 
great  church  built  in  England  in  what  was  then  the  new  or 
pointed  style  (Early  English)  ;  of  which  it  still  remains, 
as  a  whole,  one  of  the  finest  and  most  complete  examples. 
The  Abbey  Church  of  Westminster,  commenced  in  1245, 
and  completed  to  the  east  end  of  the  choir  in  1269,  is  the 
only  great  building  of  this  age  in  England  which  can  be 
considered  finer  than  Salisbury;  and  it  is  probable  that 
Henry  III.  was  induced  to  undertake  the  rebuilding  of 
Westminster  from  admiration  of  the  rising  glories  of  the 
new  Wiltshire  cathedral,  which  he  had  several  times 
visited.  On  the  Continent,  the  great  rival  of  Salisbury  is 
Amiens;  commenced  in  the  same  year  (1220)  and  com- 
pleted, nearly  as  at  present,  in  1272. 

"  The  usual  alterations  took  place  in  Salisbury  Cathedral 
at  the  Reformation,  when  much  of  the  painted  glass  is 
said  to  have  been  removed  by  Bishop  Jewell.  Although 
desolate  and  abandoned,  it  escaped  material  profanation 
during  the  Civil  War,  and  workmen  were  even  employed  to 
keep  it  in  repair.  On  the  Restoration,  a  report  of  the 
general  condition  of  the  cathedral  was  supplied  by  Sir 
Christopher  Wren,  and  certain  additions  for  the  strengthen- 
ing of  the  spire  were  made  at  his  recommendation.  The 
great  work  of  destruction  was  reserved  for  a  later  period 
and  more  competent  hands.  Under  Bishop  Barrington 
(1782-1791)  the  architect  Wyatt  was,  unhappily,  let  loose 
upon  Salisbury;  and  his  untiring  use  of  axe  and  hammer 
will  stand  a  very  fair  comparison  with  the  labours  of  an 
iconoclast  emperor,  or  with  the  burning  zeal  of  an  early 
Mohammedan  caliph.  He  swept  away  screens,  chapels 
and  porches ;  desecrated  and  destroyed  the  tombs  of  war- 
riors and  prelates;  obliterated  ancient  paintings;  flung 


SALISBURY  79 

stained  glass  by  cartloads  into  the  city  ditch ;  and  levelled 
with  the  ground  the  Campanile — of  the  same  date  as  the 
Cathedral  itself — which  stood  on  the  north  side  of  the 
churchyard.  His  operations  at  the  time  were  pronounced 
'  tasteful,  effective  and  judicious.'  The  best  point  of 
view  is  from  the  north-east,  which  Rickman  has  pro- 
nounced 'the  best  general  view  of  a  cathedral  to  be  had 
in  England,  displaying  the  various  portions  of  this  inter- 
esting building  to  the  greatest  advantage.'  The  Cathedral 
is  built  (and  roofed)  throughout  with  freestone  obtained 
from  the  Chilmark  quarries,  situated  about  twelve  miles 
from  Salisbury  towards  Hendon,  and  still  worked.  The 
stone  belongs  to  the  Portland  beds  of  the  oolite.  The 
pillars  and  pilasters  of  the  interior  are  of  Purbeck  marble. 
The  local  rhyme  in  which  the  cathedral  is  celebrated  may 
here  be  quoted;  it  is  attributed  by  Godwin,  who  gives  a 
Latin  version  of  it,  to  a  certain  Daniel  Rogers : 

" '  As  many  days  as  in  one  year  there  be, 
So  many  windows  in  this  church  you  see. 
As  many  marble  pillars  here  appear 
As  there  are  hours  through  the  fleeting  year. 
As  many  gates  as  moons  one  here  does  view, 
Strange  tale  to  tell,  yet  not  more  strange  than  true/ 

The  great  point  to  which  the  attention  of  the  stranger  is  at 
once  drawn  is,  of  course,  the  grand  peculiarity  of  Salis- 
bury, the  '  silent  finger '  of  its  spire.  This  is  the  loftiest 
in  England,  rising  400  feet  above  the  pavement  (Chichester 
said,  but  very  doubtfully,  to  have  been  built  in  imitation  of 
it,  is  271  feet  in  keight;  Norwich  313  feet)  and  its  sum- 
mit is  30  feet  above  the  top  of  St.  Paul's."— (R.  J.  K.) 

Dean  Stanley  said  that  Westminster  is  all-glori- 
ous within  and  Salisbury,  all-glorious  without. 

"  Much  has  been  written  on  the  beauty  of  the  Cathedral 
church  of  Salisbury,  the  chastity  of  its  style  and  the  purity 
of  its  detail.  The  east  end  may  be  said  to  display  the 
utmost  refinement  of  the  Early  English  era.  Every  sub- 
ordinate feature  is  so  perfectly  disposed,  so  admirably 
carried  out  and  adapted  to  its  purpose,  so  necessary  to  the 


8o  SALISBURY 

full  effect  of  the  whole,  so  simple  and  yet  so  rich,  that 
nothing,  even  by  the  most  critical,  can  be  found  wanting 
there  or  considered  de  trap.  The  northern  side  is  scarcely 
less  perfect;  the  simple  lancet  openings  of  its  eastern 
transept,  the  more  fully  developed  quatrefoils  of  the  cen- 
tral gable  and  the  still  more  advanced  northern  porch 
beyond  these,  all  mark  the  progress  of  construction.  At 
the  intersection  rises  the  still  later  tower  and  spire,  the 
final  limb  of  the  whole,  on  an  embattled  lower  stage  of 
earlier  date.  It  is  rich  to  the  utmost  limit.  Every  ball- 
flower,  every  projecting  shaft  and  moulding  sparkles  for 
itself  and  casts  its  own  diminutive  shadow  upon  its  fellow, 
entirely  relieving  the  wall-surface  of  that  flatness  which  is 
and  must  be  the  fault  in  every  view  purporting  to  sug- 
gest its  elegance.  The  church  stands  alone ;  like  a  model  of 
itself;  in  its  entirety  perhaps  the  most  stately  of  which  we 
can  boast." — (A.  A.) 

In  the  close, 'which  is  about  half  a  square  mile, 
there  are  three  gates :  the  South,  or  Harnharm ;  the 
East,  or  St.  Anne's ;  and  the  North,  or  Close  Gate, 
built  about  1327. 

"The  first  thing  to  be  noticed  in  Salisbury  is  the  ample 
breadth  of  the  space  in  which  its  cathedral  stands,  the 
beauty  of  which  space  is  enhanced  by  rows  and  avenues 
of  magnificent  trees;  so  that  it  is  difficult  to  conceive  a 
more  appropriate  enclosure  in  which  to  find  *  the  most 
chaste  of  English '  churches.  Salisbury  covers  no  less  than 
eight  acres  of  ground. 

"  Entering  from  the  High  Street,  the  visitor  finds  himself 
almost  in  another  township.  A  street  lined  with  houses 
conducts  to  the  Cathedral  lawn,  where  from  the  north- 
eastern extremity  the  full  proportions  of  the  church  may 
be  comprehended.  The  whole  north  side  of  the  close  is 
thus  open.  On  the  east  we  find  another  gateway  and  the 
entrance  to  the  Palace;  on  the  other  side  the  Choristers' 
Green,  in  itself  another  little  close.  The  west  is  occu- 
pied by  a  group  of  interesting  and  extremely  handsome 
houses  of  various  dates.  Here  are  the  Deanery,  standing  in 
its  own  grounds  opposite  the  Cathedral  fagade;  the  King's 
House,  a  long,  many-gabled  mansion  of  the  early  Fif- 


SALISBURY  81 

teentH  Century,  with  mullioned  windows  and'  a  vaulted 
porch,  the  occasional  resting-place  of  the  English  mon- 
archs  on  their  passage  through  Salisbury;  and  the  Ward- 
robe, distinguished  by  its  heavy  roof,  its  projecting  double 
gables,  and  the  immense  square  windows,  back  and  front, 
through  which  the  evening  sun  penetrates  with  a  curious 
half-ghostly  gleam.  These  form  the  most  effective  line  of 
buildings  of  the  enclosure,  which  at  this  least  trim  but  not 
the  less  picturesque  side,  terminates  at  the  Harnham 

Gate."— (A.  A.) 

» 

Raising  our  eyes  to  the  Tower  and  Spire,  we  note 

"The  Early  English  portion,  however,  terminates  with 
the  first  story,  about  eight  feet  above  the  roof;  the  two 
additional  stories  and  the  spire  above  them  date  from  the 
reign  of  Edward  III.  The  walls  of  the  upper  stories  of 
the  tower  are  covered  with  a  blind  arcade,  richly  canopied, 
and  pierced  for  light  with  double  windows  on  all  four 
sides.  Above  each  story  is  a  parapet  with  lozenge-shaped 
traceries,  which  are  repeated  in  the  three  bands  encircling 
the  spire.  At  each  angle  of  the  tower  is  an  octagonal 
stair-turret,  crowned  with  a  small  crocketed  spire.  The 
great  spire,  itself  octagonal,  rises  from  between  four 
small  richly-decorated  pinnacles.  Its  walls  are  two  feet 
in  thickness  from  the  bottom  to  a  height  of  twenty  feet; 
from  thence  to  the  summit  their  thickness  is  only  nine 
inches.  The  spire  is  filled  with  a  remarkable  frame  of 
timber-work,  which  served  as  a  scaffold  during  its  erection. 
While  making  some  repairs  in  1762,  the  workmen  found  a 
cavity  on  the  south  side  of  the  capstone  in  which  was 
a  leaden  box,  enclosing  a  second  of  wood  which  contained  a 
piece  of  much  decayed  silk  or  fine  linen,  no  doubt  a  relic 
(possibly  of  the  Virgin,  to  whom  the  cathedral  is  dedi- 
cated) placed  there  in  order  to  avert  lightning  and 
tempest."— (R.  J.  K.) 

Entering  by  the  west  door  we  look  down  the 
Nave. 

"The  interior  is  indeed  very  fine.  It  could  hardly  help 
being  fine;  a  nave  so  spacious  and  so  proportioned  could 
under  no  circumstances  be  a  failure.  It  is  immensely 


82  SALISBURY 

high  and  as  long  in  proportion.  The  proportion  of  height 
to  span  (2l/2  to  i )  is  better  than  in  most  English  churches. 
The  harmony  of  the  design — practically  the  same  from 
east  to  west  and  from  north  to  south — is  unique  in  Eng- 
land, and  is  most  impressive.  The  charming  way,  too,  in 
which  the  architect  has  contrived  that  we  should  have  a 
vista  of  another  miniature  church  in  the  Lady-Chapel — 
a  cathedral  within  a  cathedral — is  worthy  of  all  commenda- 
tion. But,  as  in  Lincoln  nave,  to  the  eye  every  support  is 
alarmingly  insufficient  for  the  work  it  has  to  do;  the  piers 
are  too  tall  and  slender,  the  walls  too  thin  and  pierced 
with  too  many  openings.  The  triforium  is  a  most  un- 
fortunate design :  in  harmony  neither  with  the  arcade  'be- 
low, nor  with  the  clerestory  above;  its  outer  arches  ugly  in 
themselves  and  discordant  with  every  other  arch  in  the 
church ;  nor  could  it  be  expected  that  its  dark  marble  shafts 
would  tell  against  a  dark  background — black  on  black.  Add 
to  this  the  dreadfully  new  look  of  everything — partly  due 
to  the  very  perfection  of  the  masonry,  partly  because  Scott 
has  been  here — and  the  overpowering  glare:  one  almost 
feels  as  if  one  were  in  the  Crystal  Palace." — (F.  B.) 

The  most  interesting  tomb  in  the  nave  is  that 
of  William  Longespee,  the  first  Earl  of  Salisbury, 
son  of  Henry  II.  and  Fair  Rosamond,  who  died  at 
his  castle  of  Old  Sarum  in  1226. 

"The  effigy  is  entirely  in  chain-mail,  covering  the  mouth 
as  well  as  the  chin  in  an  unusual  manner.  Over  the  mail  is 
the  short  cyclas,  or  surcoat.  On  the  earl's  shield  are  the 
six  golden  lioncels  also  borne  by  his  grandfather  Geoffrey, 
Count  of  Anjou.  Longespee  acquired  the  earldom  of  Salis- 
bury through  marriage  with  its  heiress,  the  Countess  Ela. 
He  took  an  active  part  in  public  affairs  throughout  the 
reign  of  John;  joined  the  Earl  of  Chester  in  an  expedition 
to  the  Holy  Land,  and  was  present  at  the  battle  of 
Damietta  in  1221,  where  the  Christians  were  defeated. 
He  fought  much  in  Flanders  and  in  France;  was  present 
on  the  King's  side  at  Runnymede ;  and  was  one  of  the  wit- 
nesses to  the  Great  Charter." — (R.  J.  K.) 

The  curious  monument  of  the  Boy  Bishop  was 
removed  to  its  present  position  about  1680,  when 


SALISBURY  83 

it  was  found  buried  under  the  seating  of  the  choir. 
It  is  Early  English  and  represents  an  effigy  of  the 
boy  in  bishop's  robes  and  mitre,  holding  a  crozier 
in  his  left  hand.  The  boy-bishop  was  elected  by  the 
choir-boys  in  many  of  the  English  cathedrals  on 
St.  Nicholas's  Day  (Dec.  6)  and  he  held  office  until 
Holy  Innocents'  Day  (Dec.  28),  during  which  time 
he  was  practically  bishop.  Law  provided  that  if  a 
boy-bishop  died  during  his  term  of  power,  he  was 
to  be  buried  in  his  vestments  and  with  all  the  pomp 
of  an  episcopal  funeral;  and,  therefore,  we  must 
conclude  that  this  boy  died  during  his  short  rule. 
From  the  nave  we  enter  the  North  Transept, 

"  passing  under  the  wide  Perpendicular  arch,  which  (as  at 
Canterbury  and  Wells)  was  inserted  early  in  the  Fifteenth 
Century  by  way  of  counter-thrust  against  the  weight  of 
the  central  tower,  under  which  the  central  piers  had  al- 
ready given  away  to  some  extent,  as  will  be  at  once  per- 
ceived. It  is  owing  to  this  settlement  of  the  piers  that  the 
spire  is  out  of  the  perpendicular.  The  triforium  and  clere- 
story of  the  nave  are  carried  round  the  transept;  the 
triforium  on  the  north  side,  being  replaced  by  two-light 
window  of  very  elegant  character.  The  clerestory  win- 
dow above,  with  its  slender  pilasters,  and  graceful  flow  of 
lines,  deserves  especial  notice.  Each  transept  has  an  east- 
ern aisle  divided  by  clustered  piers  into  three  bays.  The 
screens  which  formerly  enclosed  the  chapel  in  each  of  these 
bays  were  swept  away  by  Wyatt.  A  staircase  in  the  angle 
of  the  transept  leads  upward  to  the  TOWER,  which  may  be 
ascended  by  staircases  in  each  of  its  flanking  turrets.  The 
top  of  the  tower  is  called  the  Eight  Doors,  from  the  dou- 
ble doors  on  each  side,  through  which  the  visitor  will  obtain 
magnificent  views  over  the  town  and  surrounding  country. 
The  first  story  of  the  tower  is  of  Early  English  date,  and 
originally  formed  a  lantern,  open  to  the  nave.  It  is  sur- 
rounded by  an  arcade  of  slender  pilasters.  The  ascent  of 
the  spire — which  is  a  formidable  undertaking — is  made 
internally  by  a  series  of  slender  ladders  as  far  as  a  little 
door  about  forty  feet  below  the  vane,  and  from  that  point 


84  SALISBURY 

the  adventurous  climber  has  to  scale  the  outside  by  means 
of  hooks  attached  to  the  walls.  The  interior  is  filled  with 
a  timber  frame  consisting  of  a  central  piece  with  arms  and 
braces."— (R.  J.  K.) 

The  South  Transept  is  a  counterpart  of  the  north 
transept.  The  windows  at  the  south  end  are  filled 
with  stained-glass.  The  glass  in  the  upper  lights 
is  Early  English. 

The  lierne  vault  above  the  central  tower  arches 
is  Perpendicular.  From  here  we  enter  the  Choir, 
passing  under  a  screen  of  wrought  metal  (modern). 
In  the  second  arcade  on  each  side  of  the  choir  is 
placed  the  new  and  divided  organ  built  by  Willis. 

"  The  Choir  and  Presbytery  are  very  similar  to  the  nave 
in  the  main  features  of  their  design.  The  piers  show  a 
different  plan,  which  provides  for  eight  shafts  of  Pur- 
beck  marble  to  each.  The  inner  mouldings  of  the  arches 
exhibit  the  dog-tooth  ornamentation  of  their  period.  The 
triforium  and  clerestory  differ  slightly  from  the  corre- 
sponding parts  of  the  nave.  In  each  of  the  last  two  bays 
of  the  presbytery  the  triforium  has  five  small  cinquefoil 
arches.  At  the  east  wall  of  the  choir  above  the  reredos 
is  an  arcade  of  five  simply-pointed  arches,  below  a  triplet 
window  in  the  gable,  which  is  filled  with  stained  glass,  given 
by  the  Earl  of  Radnor  in  1781,  and  representing  The 
Brazen  Serpent,  after  a  design  by  Mortimer. 

"  The  choir  still  bears  'traces  of  Wyatt's  destruction.  He 
removed  the  original  reredos  behind  the  high  altar  and 
the  screen  before  the  Lady-Chapel,  so  that  both,  with  the 
low  eastern  aisle,  were  thrown  into  the  choir.  He  shifted 
the  high  altar  from  the  choir  to  the  extreme  east  end  of  the 
Lady-Chapel,  sacrificing  several  chantries  and  tombs  to  do 
so.  Views  of  the  cathedral  after  his  reign  of  terror  fail 
to  show  any  gain  to  compensate  for  so  much  loss;  the  ex- 
treme length  is  not  apparently  an  advantage,  while  the 
bare  look  of  the  interior  seems  decidedly  intensified  by  the 
increased  vista  that  he  was  so  delighted  to  obtain,  and  for 
which,  with  a  light  heart,  he  effaced  the  silent  records  of 
dead  centuries.  The  decorations  of  the  roof  of  the  choir 
and  presbytery  are  reproductions  of  the  original  series  of 


SALISBURY  85 

paintings,  dating,  it  is  thought,  from  the  Thirteenth  Cen- 
tury. The  subjects  are  the  prophets  and  saints,  Christ 
and  the  four  Evangelists  and  the  twelve  months." — (G.  W.) 

On  the  north  side  of  the  choir  is  Bishop  Aud- 
ley's  Chantry,  built  by  the  bishop  in  1520,  four 
years  before  his  death.  It  is  late  Perpendicular 
and  resembles  the  chantry  of  Bishop  Fox  at  Win- 
chester. The  fan-tracery  of  the  roof  was  origi- 
nally coloured.  In  the  corresponding  bay  on  the 
south  side  is  the  chantry  founded  by  Walter,  Lord 
Hungerford,  in  1429.  It  was  removed  from  the 
nave  in  1778. 

The  Choir-Stalls  are  composed  of  pieces  of  vari- 
ous dates  with  some  additions  by  Sir  Christopher 
Wren  and  canopies  by  Wyatt.  The  Reredos  is 
modern,  the  gift  of  Earl  Beauchamp  in  memory  of 
his  ancestor,  whose  chantry  Wyatt  destroyed.  It 
was  designed  by  Sir  Gilbert  Scott. 

Many  of  the  Earls  of  Pembroke  and  their  wives 
are  buried  near  the  choir. 

In  the  South-choir-aisle  an  interesting  monument 
to  Bishop  Davenport,  probably  one  of  the  trans- 
lators of  the  Bible,  is  of  white  marble  with  black 
Corinthian  pillars.  Near  it  is  the  tomb  of  Sir 
Richard  Mompesson  and  his  wife.  He  is  in 
armour  and  Katherine  in  a  black  robe  with  gold 
flowers.  The  black  Corinthian  columns  with  vine 
leaves  and  grapes  in  green  and  gold  twisted  around 
them  are  striking.  Near  the  south  transept,  still 
in  the  choir-aisle,  is  the  altar-tomb  of  Bishop  Mit- 
ford  (1407),  with  carved  shields.  On  the  cornice 
with  the  lilies,  birds  are  holding  in  their  beaks 
scrolls  with  the  words  Honor  Deo  et  gloria. 

In  the  floor  of  the  north-east-choir-aisle  is  the 
brass  to  Bishop  Wyvill,  generally  regarded  as  one 


86  SALISBURY 

of  the  most  wonderful  existing  examples.  Bishop 
Wyvill  (1329-1375)  recovered  for  this  See  the 
castle  of  Sherborne  and  the  chase  of  Bere.  The 
brass,  therefore,  represents  the  contested  castle 
with  keep  and  portcullis.  At  the  door  of  the  first 
ward  the  bishop  appears,  bestowing  his  benediction 
on  his  champion,  who  stands  at  the  gate  of  the 
outer  ward  with  battle-axe  and  shield.  The  rabbits 
and  hares  before  the  castle  refer  to  the  chase  of 
Bere,  within  Windsor  Forest. 

Bishop  Giles  de  Bridport  (died  1262)  lies  op- 
posite William  of  York's  tomb,  between  the  choir- 
aisle  and  the  eastern-aisle  of  the  transept.  His 
monument  is  one  of  the  most  important  and  inter- 
esting in  the  Cathedral. 

"All  the  details  of  this  remarkable  monument  deserve 
the  most  careful  examination.  The  effigy,  at  the  head  of 
which  are  small  figures  of  censing  angels,  lies  beneath  a 
canopy,  supported  north  and  south  by  two  open  arches 
with  quatrefoils  in  the  heads.  Each  arch  is  subdivided 
by  a  central  pilaster,  and  springs  from  clustered  shafts, 
detached.  A  triangular  hood-moulding,  with  crockets  and 
finials  of  leafage,  projects  above  each  arch;  and  between 
and  beyond  the  arches  pilasters  rise  to  the  top  of 
the  canopy,  supporting  finials  of  very  excellent  design. 
The  whole  character  of  the  tomb  is  most  graceful,  but 
an  especial  interest  is  given  to  it  by  the  reliefs  with 
which  the  spandrels  of  the  arches  are  filled,  and  by  the 
small  sculptured  figures  on  various  parts  of  the  monu- 
ment. The  subjects,  beginning  on  the  south  side,  have  been 
thus  interpreted.  The  first,  a  female  figure  with  an  infant 
and  attendants,  represents  the  birth  of  the  future  bishop : 
in  the  three  next  spandrels  are  his  confirmation;  either  his 
own  education  or  his  instruction  of  others ;  and,  possibly, 
his  first  preferment.  The  shield  hung  from  a  tree  in  this 
compartment,  bears  Az.,  a  cross,  or,  between  4  bezants, 
no  doubt  his  own  arms.  On  the  north  side  of  the  monu- 
ment are  the  bishop  doing  homage  for  his  see — a  proces- 


SALISBURY  87 

sion  with  a  cross-bearer,  perhaps  referring  to  the  dedica- 
tion of  Salisbury  Cathedral — the  bishop's  death  and  the 
presentation  of  his  soul  for  judgment.  Little  or  nothing  is 
known  of  the  life  of  Bishop  Bridport." — (R.  J.  K.) 

At  the  end  of  the  north  aisle  of  the  Lady-Chapel 
and  at  the  end  of  the  south  aisle,  directly  opposite, 
are  two  monuments  that  will  interest  the  visitor. 
The  first  is  a  medley  of  obelisks,  globes,  spheres 
and  the  Four  Cardinal  Virtues  and  effigies  of  Sir 
Thomas  Gorges  and  his  widow,  maid-of-honour  to 
Queen  Elizabeth.  The  second  is  a  gorgeous  tribute 
to  Edward,  Earl  of  Hertford,  son  of  the  Protector 
Somerset  and  of  his  wife,  Catherine,  Lady  Jane 
Grey's  sister.  The  effigies  are  praying;  the  Earl 
is  in  armour.  The  whole  piece  is  gilded  and 
coloured. 

Very  little  ancient  glass  remains  in  Salisbury. 

"The  fragments  that  survived  were  collected  some  fifty 
years  since,  and  placed  in  the  nave  windows,  and  in  parts 
of  some  of  the  others.  The  most  important  are  in  the 
great  west  triple  lancet,  wherein  the  glass  ranges  in  date 
from  the  Twelfth  to  the  Fifteenth  Century.  Mr.  Winston, 
in  his  Paper  read  in  1849  before  the  Archaeological  Insti- 
tute and  printed  in  the  Salisbury  volume  for  that  year, 
considered  that  the  earliest  fragments  are  from  a  Stem  of 
Jesse  about  1240  and  some  medallions  about  1270.  He  de- 
scribes two  of  the  ovals  that  are  on  each  side  of  the 
throned  bishop,  a  prominent  figure  in  the  lower  half  of 
the  central  light,  one  of  the  Christ  enthroned,  the  other 
of  the  Virgin.  The  two  medallions  below  them  he  believes 
represent  Zacharias  in  the  Temple  and  the  Adoration  of  the 
Magi.  The  later  glass  now  in  the  same  window  may  be 
either  Flemish  work  brought  hither  from  Dijon,  or  pos- 
sibly partly  from  Rouen,  and  partly  from  a  church  near 
Exeter.  It  has  been  conjectured  that  in  the  south  lancet 
the  figures  represent  SS.  Peter  and  Francis,  in  the  central 
one  the  Crucifixion,  the  Coronation  of  the  Virgin  and 
the  Invention  of  the  Cross,  and  in  the  north  light  the  Be- 


88  SALISBURY 

trayal  of  Christ  and  St.  Catherine.  In  two  of  the  side 
windows  of  the  nave  are  the  arms  of  John  Aprice  (1555- 
1558)  and  Bishop  Jewell  (1562)."— (G.  W.) 

In  the  south-choir-aisle  is  Jacob's  Dream  in  mem- 
ory of  the  Duke  of  Albany  and  there  are  also  two 
of  the  proposed  six  angel-windows — Angeli  Minis- 
trantes  and  the  Angeli  Laudantes — designed  by  Sir 
Edward  Burne-Jones  and  made  by  William  Morris. 
These  are  considered  among  the  best  examples  of 
glass-painting  since  the  Middle  Ages. 

The  Chapter-House  is  a  very  fine  type  of  an 
English  chapter-house  of  the  Thirteenth  Century, 
when  geometrical  tracery  was  in  vogue.  It  prob- 
ably dates  from  the  reign  of  Edward  the  First. 

"  The  architecture  is  somewhat  later  in  style  than  that  of 
the  cloisters,  and  if  it  be  not,  as  its  admirers  claim,  the  most 
beautiful  in  England,  it  has  few  rivals.  Like  Westminster, 
Wells  and  other  English  examples,  except  York  and 
Southwell,  it  has  a  central  pillar,  from  which  the  groin- 
ing of  the  roof  springs  gracefully  in  harmonious  lines. 
A  raised  bench  of  stone  runs  round  the  interior.  At  its 
back  forty-nine  niches  of  a  canopied  arcade  borne  on 
slight  Purbeck  marble  shafts  marked  out  as  many  seats. 
They  are  apportioned  as  follows :  those  at  each  side  of 
the  entrance  to  the  Chancellor  and  Treasurer  respectively, 
the  rest  to  the  Bishop,  Dean,  Archdeacons  and  other 
members  of  the  chapter. 

"  The  plan  of  the  building  is  octagonal,  about  fifty-eight 
feet  in  diameter  and  fifty-two  feet  in  height.  Each  side 
has  a  large  fan-light  window  with  traceried  head.  Be- 
low these  windows  and  above  the  canopies  of  the  seats 
is  a  very  remarkable  series  of  bas-reliefs.  The  bosses  of 
the  roof  are  somewhat  elaborately  carved :  one  north  of 
the  west  doorway  has  groups  of  figures  on  it,  apparently 
intended  to  represent  armourers,  musicians,  and  apothe- 
caries, possibly  commemorating  guilds  who  were  bene- 
factors to  the  building;  the  others  have  foliage  chiefly 
with  grotesque  monsters.  On  the  base  of  ths  central 


SALISBURY:    NAVE,  EAST 


SALISBURY  89 

pillar  is  a  series  of  carvings  taken  probably  from  one  of 
the  many  books  of  fables  so  popular  in  the  Middle  Ages. 
These  were  reproduced  from  the  originals,  which  are 
preserved  in  the  cloisters." — (G.  W.) 

The  vaulted  roof  is  re-painted  in  accordance  with 
the  original. 

The  Cloisters  are  on  the  south-west  side  of  the 
Cathedral,  their  western  wall  being  on  a  line  with 
the  west  front.  These  fine  covered  walks,  the 
largest  in  England  (181  feet  long),  surround  a 
great  sward  (140  feet  square),  where  a  group  of 
dark  cedars  contrasts  beautifully  with  the  grey 
walls.  The  style  is  late  Thirteenth  Century.  The 
windows  formed  of  double  arches  with  quatrefoils 
united  at  the  main  head  with  a  large  six-foiled  cir- 
cle are  much  admired. 


•   EXETER 

DEDICATION:  ST.  PETER.  A  CHURCH  SERVED  BY  SECULAR 
CANONS. 

SPECIAL  FEATURES  :  SCREEN  ON  WEST  FRONT  ;  MISERERES  ; 
BISHOP'S  THRONE;  MINSTRELS'  GALLERY;  LADY- 
CHAPEL;  EAST  WINDOW. 

"  As  the  last  cathedral  church  we  visited,  namely  Salis- 
bury, may  be  taken  as  the  most  complete  example  of  Early 
English  work,  so  Exeter  in  its  present  state  is  the  best 
specimen  of  the  Decorated  style  that  is  to  be  met  with  in 
England.  For  though,  unlike  Salisbury,  it  was  not  built 
afresh  from  the  ground,  yet  under  Bishops  Quivil,  Bit- 
ton,  Stapleton  and  Grandisson,  between  the  years  1280  and 
1369,  the  fabric  was  so  entirely  remodelled  that  it  may 
be  regarded  as  practically  a  new  building;  and  since  the 
work  of  remodelling  began  about  the  time  that  the  Early 
English  style  was  passing  into  the  Decorated,  and  was 
completed  before  the  time  when  the  Perpendicular  had 
superseded  the  Decorated,  it  naturally  is  characterised  by 
the  features  of  that  style  which  flourished  during  the  first 
half  of  the  Fourteenth  Century.  Much  indeed  of  the 
work  found  at  Exeter  is  the  very  finest  that  the  Fourteenth 
Century  produced." — (T.  P.) 

As  early  as  the  reign  of  Athelstan  a  Benedictine 
monastery,  dedicated  to  St.  Peter,  existed  at  Credi- 
ton  and  was  much  injured  by  the  Northmen  in  the 
Tenth  and  Eleventh  Centuries.  When  the  Sees  for 
Devon  and  Cornwall  were  removed  from  Crediton 
to  Exeter  in  1050,  the  old  church  of  St.  Peter  was 
chosen  for  the  new  Cathedral.  Of  the  Saxon 
church,  however,  nothing  remains.  William  Warel- 
wast  (1107-1136),  the  third  bishop  after  the  Con- 
quest, began  the  new  church  about  1112,  in  the 
"  marvellous  and  sumptuous "  architecture  of  the 

9° 


EXETER  91 

Normans.  During  its  erection  it  suffered  from  fire 
when  Stephen  besieged  Exeter  in  1136.  Of  this 
building  the  two  transept  towers  remain.  Bishop 
Peter  Quivil  built  the  greater  part  of  the  present 
Cathedral  before  1291 ;  Bishop  Stapledon,  who  was 
murdered  by  the  Londoners  at  the  "  great  cross  in 
Chepe  "  in  1326,  the  eastern  part  of  the  Choir,  the 
sedilia  and  the  choir-screen ;  Bishop  Grandisson  fin- 
ished the  Nave  about  1350  and  the  west  front,  in 
all  probability,  a  little  later;  and  Bishop  Branting- 
ham,  the  Cloisters.  The  Lady-Chapel  was  built 
during  the  episcopates  of  Bronescomb  and  Quivil, 
and  the  chapels  of  St.  Mary  Magdalene  and  of  St. 
Gabriel  the  Archangel,  north  and  south  of  the  Lady- 
Chapel,  are  the  work  of  Bishop  Bronescomb. 

Many  of  the  ancient  decorations  and  arrange- 
ments were  either  removed,  or  defaced,  by  Queen 
Elizabeth's  "visitors,"  who,  in  1559,  were  ap- 
pointed to  compel  the  general  observance  of  the 
Protestant  formularies.  During  the  Common- 
wealth the  Cathedral  was  divided  into  two  portions 
by  a  brick  wall  so  that  an  Independent  preacher 
named  Stuckeley,  one  of  Cromwell's  chaplains, 
could  preach  in  "  West  Peter's/'  and  a  Presby- 
terian, named  Ford,  in  the -Choir,  or  "  East  Peter's," 
as  the  Puritans  now  named  these  portions  of  the 
Cathedral. 

The  finest  view  is  perhaps  from  Waddlesdown, 
about  four  miles  from  Exeter.  Taking  a  view  of 
the  exterior, 

"The  visitor  should  especially  remark  the  Norman 
towers,  the  cresting  of  the  roof,  the  flying-buttresses  and 
the  north  porch.  The  Norman  towers,  in  connection 
with  the  long  unbroken  roof,  should  perhaps  be  regarded 
as  constituting  the  specialty  of  Exeter.  At  all  events,  the 


92  EXETER 

peculiarity  of  their  present  position  is  so  great  and  so 
striking  as  at  once  to  attract  attention;  and  the  question 
of  their  place  in  the  original  Norman  church  is  one  of 
very  considerable  interest.  Each  tower  consists  of  six 
stages,  the  two  lowest  of  which  are  plain :  the  other  four 
have  blind  arcades  and  circular  window  openings,  the 
details  and  arrangements  of  which  vary  in  the  two 
towers.  At  the  angles  are  square  buttresses,  which  rise 
above  the  uppermost  story.  The  south  tower  is  Norman 
throughout ;  that  on  the  north  was  altered  by  Bishop 
Courtenay  for  the  reception  of  the  great  bell  from  Llandaff, 
and  its  final  stage  is  Perpendicular.  The  fleur-de-lis 
cresting  of  the  roof  is  of  lead  (with  which  the  whole  of 
the  roof  is  covered),  and  its  form  is  very  graceful  and 
effective.  The  flying-buttresses  derive  a  very  grand  effect 
from  the  fact  that  the  aisle-roofs  slope  outwards,  and 
not,  as  usual,  inwards.  Resulting  also  from  this  pecu- 
liarity are,  the  great  height  of  the  aisles  on  the  exterior, 
and  an  unusual  development  of  the  clerestory,  without  any 
intervening  space  between  it  and  the  aisle-roofs ;  and  within 
the  nave,  the  absence  of  the  triforium ;  the  place  of  which 
is,  however,  indicated  by  the  blind  arcade  above  the  piers. 
The  north  porch  with  its  triple  canopy  is  part  of  Grandis- 
son's  work,  and  very  beautiful." — (R.  J.  K.) 

Many  people  are  at  first  disappointed  with  their 
first  view  of  the  West  Front  and  more  particu- 
larly of  the  Screen  with  its  noble  array  of  statues. 
The  impression  that  it  produces  has  been  well  de- 
scribed by  W.  D.  Howells,  who  writes  on  his  visit 
to  Exeter: 

"  To  the  first  glance  it  is  all  a  soft  gray  blur  of  age- 
worn  carving,  in  which  no  point  or  angle  seems  to  have 
failed  of  the  touch  which  has  blent  all  archaic  sancti- 
ties and  royalties  of  the  glorious  screen  in  a  dim  sumptuous 
harmony  of  figures  and 'faces." 

Now  let  us  examine  it  more  in  detail. 

"The  west  front,  usually  regarded  as  the  latest  work 
of  Bishop  Grandisson,  who  died  in  1369,  is  of  very  high 


EXETER  93 

interest;  and  although  it  cannot  compete  with  those  of 
Wells  or  Lincoln  (both  of  earlier  date),  may  justly  claim 
great  beauty  as  an  architectural  composition.  It  recedes 
in  three  stories,  the  lowest  of  which  is  formed  by  the 
sculptured  screen ;  the  second  contains  the  great  west 
window,  on  each  side  of  which  is  a  graduated  arcade; 
and  in  the  third,  or  gable,  is  a  triangular  window  sur- 
mounted by  a  niche,  containing  a  figure  of  St.  Peter,  the 
patron  saint  of  the  cathedral.  The  SCREEN  deserves  the 
most  careful  examination.  It  is  pierced  by  three  doorways, 
and  surrounded  by  a  series  of  niches,  in  which  are  the 
statues  of  kings,  warriors,  saints  and  apostles,  guardians, 
as  it  were,  of  the  entrance  to  the  sanctuary.  These 
figures  are  arranged  in  three  rows.  From  pedestals 
crowned  with  battlements  spring  angels,  each  of  whom 
supports  a  triple  pilaster,  with  capitals.  The  statues  on 
these  capitals,  forming  the  second  row,  are  for  the  most 
part  those  of  kings  and  knights ;  above  the  canopies  which 
surmount  them  appears  the  third  row,  chiefly  saints  and 
apostles.  The  positions  of  the  angels  are  admirably  varied. 

"The  two  statues  with  shields  of  arms  in  niches  above 
the  upper  row  are  certainly  those  of  Athelstan  and  Ed- 
ward the  Confessor,  the  Saxon  king  who  expelled  the 
Britons  from  Exeter,  and  the  founder  of  the  existing 
bishopric.  In  all  these  figures  the  general  arrangement 
of  the  hair  as  well  as  the  fashion  of  the  crowns  and  of 
the  armour,  are  those  of  the  reign  of  Edward  III.,  in 
which  the  work  was  probably  completed. 

"  The  platform  above  the  screen  no  doubt  served,  as  in 
many  foreign  cathedrals,  as  a  station  from  which  the 
church  minstrels  and  choristers  might  duly  welcome  dis- 
tinguished persons  on  their  arrival ;  and  from  which  the 
bishop  might  bestow  his  benediction  on  the  people.  The 
three  doorways  are  much  enriched.  Round  that  in  the 
centre,  within  the  porch,  is  a  moulding  of  carved  foliage 
which  deserves  notice.  On  the  central  boss  of  the  groin- 
ing is  a  representation  of  the  Crucifixion.  The  recess 
within  the  south  doorway  contains  two  sculptures,  The 
Appearance  of  the  Angel  to  Joseph  in  a  Dream  and  The 
Adoration  of  the  Shepherds.  Both,  like  the  figures  on  the 
screen,  have  suffered  not  a  little  from  time,  and  the  as- 
saults of  Cromwell's  Puritans." — (R.  J.  K.) 


94  EXETER 

Exeter  is  distinguished  among  English  cathe- 
drals in  not  having  a  central  tower.  This  gives  the 
exterior  a  unique  appearance  and  the  interior  gains 
by  the  absence  of  tower  piers  to  block  the  view. 
Exeter  has,  therefore,  the  most  open  and  impressive 
vista  of  any  English  cathedral.  The  screen  being 
low,  the  whole  design  is  immediately  compre- 
hended/ It  has  been  compared  to  the  Cathedral  of 
Bourges. 

In  our  walks  through  Exeter  it  may  be  well  to 
remember  that  Quivil's  architect  determined  to  see 
what  he  could  do  with  lowness  and  breadth. 

"  Everything  should  be  broad  and  low,  outside  as  well 
as  inside.  Look  at  the  east  end  of  the  choir — its  two 
arches  broad  and  low;  above  it  the  great  window — broad 
and  low.  Nowhere  but  at  Exeter  do  you  find  these 
squat  windows  with  their  truncated  jambs;  here  they  are 
everywhere — in  the  aisles,  in  the  clerestory,  in  choir, 
chapels,  transepts  and  nave;  even  in  the  great  window 
of  the  western  front:  broad  and  low  windows  every- 
where. Still  more  original  is  the  external  realisation  of 
the  design ;  central  tower  and  spire,  western  towers  and 
spires,  alike  are  absent.  Long  and  low,  massive  and 
stable  stretches  out  uninterruptedly  the  long  horizontal 
line  of  nave  and  choir.  Breadth  gives  in  itself  the  satis- 
factory feeling  of  massiveness,  steadfastness  and  solidity; 
and  this  is  just  what  is  wanting  in  the  ail-too  aerial  work 
of  Salisbury  and  Beauvais ;  vaulted  roofs  at  a  dizzy 
height  resting  on  unsubstantial  supports  and  sheets  of 
glass.  But  the  Exeter  architect  has  emphasised  this  satis- 
factory feeling  of  stability  still  further.  The  window 
tracery  is  heavy  and  strong;  the  vault  is  barred  all  over 
with  massive  ribs ;  in  the  piers  there  are  no  pretty,  fragile, 
detached  shafts;  the  massive  clustered  columns  look  as 
if  they  were  designed,  as  they  were,  to  carry  the  weight 
of  a  Norman  wall." — (F.  B.) 

The  heaviness  was  counteracted  by  transparency : 
the  arrangement  of  the  windows  flood  the  Cathe- 


EXETER  95 

dral  with  light;  for  the  aisle  and  clerestory  are  al- 
most a  continuous  sheet  of  glass. 

"Another  distinctive  feature  in  Exeter  as  in  Salisbury, 
is  that  the  architect  produces  his  effect  mainly  by  archi- 
tectural means — is  not  driven  to  rely  on  sculpture.  All 
the  principal  capitals  have  mouldings  not  foliage.  Only 
in  the  great  corbels  of  the  vaulting  shafts  and  in  the 
bosses  of  the  vault  does  he  permit  himself  foliage  and 
sculpture.  Wonderful  carving  it  is;  the  finest  work  of 
the  best  period,  when  the  naturalistic  treatment  of  foliage 
was  fresh  and  young.  Very  remarkable  these  corbels  are, 
with  their  life-like  treatment  of  vine  and  grape,  oak  and 
acorn,  hazel  leaf  and  nut.  Unfortunately  the  corbels, 
and  still  more  the  bosses,  are  so  high  up  that  their  lovely 
detail  is  thrown  away;  and  they  are  out  of  scale. 

"  And  the  patterns  of  the  window  tracery  are  wonder- 
fully diverse.  It  is  not,  as  in  Lichfield  nave  or  King's 
College  Chapel,  where  every  window  is  like  its  neigh- 
bour; when  you  have  seen  one,  you  have  seen  all.  Here, 
all  down  each  side  of  the  church  every  window  differs. 
In  dimensions,  in  general  character,  they  agree;  in  de- 
tails they  differ;  each  window  is  a  fresh  delight;  we  have, 
what  even  in  Gothic  architecture  we  rarely  get — diver- 
sity within  simplicity." — (F.  B.) 

First  we  examine  the  splendid  Nave. 

"The  first  view  of  the  NAVE  is  rich  and  striking.  Its 
present  length  is  140  feet.  The  view  looking  east  is  inter- 
cepted by  the  organ,  which  is  placed  above  the  screen  at 
the  entrance  to  the  choir;  but  the  general  impression,  not- 
withstanding a  want  of  height,  is  that  of  great  richness 
and  beauty.  The  roof  especially,  springing  from  slender 
vaulting  shafts,  studded  with  delicately  carved  and  varied 
bosses,  and  extending  unbroken  to  the  east  end  of  the 
choir,  is  exceeded  in  grace  and  lightness  by  no  other  of 
the  same  date  in  the  kingdom  and  by  few  on  the  Con- 
tinent. The  carved  bosses,  all  of  which  retain  traces  of 
colour,  represent  foliage,  animals  (near  the  centre  of 
the  nave  is  a  sow  with  a  litter  of  pigs),  grotesque  figures, 
heraldic  shields,  subjects  from  early  'bestiaries'  and 


96  EXETER 

romances,  such  as  the  centaur  with  a  sword,  and  the 
knight  riding  on  a  lion  toward  the  eastern  end,  heads 
of  the  Virgin  and  Saviour,  the  Passion  and  Crucifixion, 
and  in  the  centre  of  the  second  bay,  the  murder  of 
Becket.  Grandisson  wrote  a  life  of  the  great  Arch- 
bishop, which  remains  in  MS.,  but  was  very  popular  in 
its  day.  The  episcopal  figure  on  the  adjoining  boss  may 
either  represent  Becket  or  Grandisson  himself.  Clustered 
pillars  of  Purbeck  marble  (contrasting  well  with  the 
lighter  stone  from  Silverton  and  Bere)  of  which  the  walls 
and  roof  are  constructed,  separate  the  nave  from  the 
aisles  and  divide  it  into  seven  compartments  or  *  bays.' 

"  The  corbels  between  the  arches,  which  support  the 
vaulting  shafts  of  the  roof,  are,  perhaps,  peculiar  to  this 
cathedral,  and  should  be  especially  noticed.  They  are 
wrought  into  figures,  twisted  branches  and  long  sprays  of 
foliage,  and  afford  excellent  examples  of  the  very  best 
period  of  naturalism.  Every  leaf  is  varied  and  the  char- 
acter of  the  different  kinds  (here  for  the  most  part  oak 
and  vine)  is  admirably  retained.  The  second  corbel  on 
the  south  side  of  the  nave  exhibits  the  Virgin  treading  on 
an  evil  spirit,  and  carrying  the  Divine  Infant.  Above  is 
her  coronation.  The  easternmost  nave-corbels  display  on 
the  north  side  Moses  with  his  hands  supported  by  Aaron 
and  Hur;  and  on  the  south  the  risen  Saviour,  with  cross 
and  banner.  The  brackets  at  the  foot  of  these  corbels 
are  crowned  heads;  and  possibly  represent  Edward  I. 
and  Edward  II.,  the  first  beardless  as  usual,  the  other  more 
defaced.  The  second  corbel  on  the  north  side  represents 
St.  Cecilia,  with  a  somewhat  grotesque  angel  listening 
to  her  music. 

"  A  blind  arcade,  taking  the  place  of  the  triforium, 
deeply  recessed  and  arranged  in  groups  of  four  arches 
under  each  bay,  runs  above  the  nave  arches;  and  in  the 
central  bay  on  the  north  side  projects  the  Minstrels'  Gal- 
lery, an  arrangement  for  the  accommodation  of  musicians 
on  high  festivals,  which  occur  in  this  perfection  no- 
where else  in  England.  There  are,  indeed,  other  examples 
at  Wells  and  at  Winchester,  but  of  far  less  interest  and 
importance.  Each  of  the  twelve  niches  into  which  its 
front  is  divided  contains  the  figure  of  a  winged  angel 
playing  on  a  musical  instrument  and  surmounted  by  a  rich 


EXETER  97 

canopy.  The  instruments  beginning  from  the  west  are, 
a  cittern,  bagpipes,  flageolet,  crowth  or  violin,  harp,  an 
unknown  or  unseen  instrument  (the  fingers  are  put  close 
to  the  mouth),  trumpet,  organ,  guitar,  wind  instrument, 
tambour  and  cymbals.  The  two  corbelled  heads  below, 
supporting  niches,  are  possibly  those  of  Edward  III.  and 
Philippa.  The  manne'r  in  which  the  hands  and  arms  are 
raised  above  the  heads  is  unusual.  Above  the  arcade  and 
minstrels'  gallery  is  the  clerestory,  along  which  a  gallery 
is  pierced  in  the  thickness  of  the  wall. 

"  The  windows  of  the  nave,  all  of  the  best  and  purest 
(geometrical)  Decorated,  are  said  to  exhibit  a  greater 
variety  of  tracery  than  can  be  found  in  any  other  build- 
ing in  the  kingdom.  They  are  arranged  in  pairs,  on 
opposite  sides  of  the  cathedral ;  so  that  no  two  side  by 
side  will  be  found  to  resemble  each  other.  The  varied 
and  graceful  patterns  of  the  lead-work  should  also  be 
noticed.  The  stained  glass  in  the  great  west  window  is, 
for  the  most  part,  modern  and  worthless  (it  dates  from 
1766)  injuring  the  beauty  of  the  window  itself  by  its 
entire  want  of  harmony  and  meaning.  The  ruby  glass 
in  this  window  is  said  to  be  some  of  the  latest  that  was 
manufactured  in  England  before  M.  Bontemps  revived  the 
art."— (R.  J.  K.) 

Walking  back  to  the  west  end,  we  stop  to  examine 
the  Chantry  of  St.  Radegunde, 

"constructed  in  the  thickness  of  the  screen  by  Bishop 
Grandisson  for  the  place  of  his  own  sepulture.  His 
tomb  formerly  existed  here,  but  it  was  destroyed  by 
Elizabeth's  visitors  and  the  high-born  prelate's  ashes 
scattered  'no  man  knoweth  where.'" — (R.  J.  K.) 

Opening  from  the  first  bay  of  the  Nave  is  the 
small  Chapel  of  St.  Edmund,  of  earlier  date  than 
the  Nave.  In  the  fifth  bay,  on  the  same  side,  is  the 
North  Porch.  In  the  last  bay  on  the  south  side  is 
an  Early  English  doorway  that  formerly  opened 
into  the  cloisters;  and  between  the  first  two  but- 


98  EXETER 

tresses  on  the  south  side  a  finely  carved  consecra- 
tion cross  attracts  our  notice. 

The  Pulpit  dates  from  1684. 

The  Transepts,  one  bay  each,  occupy  the  space 
under  the  towers.  East  of  the  North  transept 
is  the  Chapel  of  St.  Paul,  built  by  Quivil  and  now 
used  as  a  vestry.  In  the  corner  we  find  the  tomb 
and  chantry  of  Sylke,  a  sub-chanter,  who  founded 
this  chantry  in  1485  and  was  buried  in  it  in  1508. 
His  effigy  lies  here.  Against  the  east  wall  are  me- 
morials to  the  soldiers  of  the  2Oth,  or  East  Devon 
Regiment  who  fell  in  the  Crimean  War.  Here  is 
also  the  famous  clock  which  has  two  dials.  It  is 
supposed  to  date  from  the  reign  of  Edward  III. 

A  door  below  the  clock  opens  to  the  stairs  into 
the  North  tower,  in  which  is  hung  the  Great,  or 
Peter  Bell,  the  second  largest  bell  in  England.  It 
weighs  12,500  pounds. 

"The  Peter  bell  was  crazed  on  Nov.  5,  1611,  most 
probably  from  a  too  violent  ringing  in  commemoration  of 
the  Gunpower  Plot,  and  was  recast  in  1676.  Its  di- 
ameter at  the  mouth  is  6  feet  3  inches;  its  height  nearly 
4  feet  8  inches.  It  is,  of  course,  never  rung,  but  the 
hours  are  struck  on  it  by  an  enormous  hammer.  The 
visitor  who  happens  to  be  in  the  tower  at  the  time  of 
striking  will  experience  a  new  sensation, — the  humming  of 
the  great  mass  of  metal  lingers  for  many  minutes  among 
the  huge  beams  and  rafters.  A  superb  view  of  the  city 
surrounded  by  trees  and  gardens,  of  the  river  and  of  its 
junction  with  the  sea  at  Exmouth,  is  obtained  from  the 
top  of  the  tower,  the  upper  part  of  which  (of  Perpen- 
dicular character)  was  raised  and  adapted  by  Bishop 
Courtenay  for  the  reception  of  Great  Peter,  which  he 
brought  from  Llandaff."—  (R.  J.  K.) 

The  South  Transept  is  a  counterpart  of  the 
north,  and  the  Chapel  of  St.  John  the  Baptist 


C/3 


525" 


W 


O 
ffi 

U 


EXETER  99 

(also  Quivil's  work)  corresponds  with  St.  Paul's 
opposite.  In  the  Tower  are  eleven  bells,  ten  of 
which  are  rung  in  peal.  They  date  from  the  Seven- 
teenth Century.  Between  this  Transept  and  the 
Chapter-House  lies  the  Chapel  of  the  Holy  Ghost, 
formerly  used  as  a  baptistery.  It  is  Norman.  The 
Chapter-House,  opening  from  what  is  still  called  the 
Cloisters  (although  the  cloisters  were  demolished 
during  Cromwell's  rule),  was  begun  in  the  Thir- 
teenth Century  and  finished  in  the  Fifteenth. 

When  Bishop  Grandisson  dedicated  the  High 
Altar,  Dec.  18,  1328,  he  wrote  to  the  Pope  that  the 
Cathedral,  then  half  finished,  would  be  superior  in 
its  kind  to  any  church  in  France  or  England. 

"  High  as  this  praise  was,  the  beauty  of  the  vaulted 
roof  and  the  extreme  grace  of  the  details  are  proofs  that 
it  was  scarcely  exaggerated.  The  roof  bosses  and  cor- 
bels are  of  the  same  character  as  those  in  the  nave ;  but  the 
latter  are  even  more  admirable  in  design,  and  far  more 
varied  in  foliage.  Maple,  oak,  ash,  the  filbert  with  its 
clusters  of  nuts,  and  the  .vine  with  fruit  and  tendrils, 
could  hardly  be  reproduced  more  faithfully.  On  the  cor- 
bel above  the  organ-screen,  on  the  north  side,  is  a 
Coronation  of  the  Virgin  and  on  that  beyond  it  a  Vir- 
gin and  Child  with  censing  angels." — (R.  J.  K.) 

The  Choir,  Decorated,  is  very  fine: 

"We  approach  the  choir,  entered  by  a  door  in  the 
beautiful  screen  supporting  the  organ.  This  was  the  old 
rood-screen,  on  which  formerly  stood  the  rood,  or  figure 
of  our  Lord  on  the  Cross.  It  was  erected  in  the  Four- 
teenth Century. 

"  The  bosses  of  the  vaulted  roof  are  worthy  of  especial 
examination,  so  remarkable  are  they  for  the  delicacy  of 
the  carved  foliage.  The  choir  has  been  carefully  re- 
stored in  recent  years,  and  the  stalls,  pulpit  and  reredos 
are  modern  and  were  designed  by  Sir  Gilbert  Scott. 
Notice  the  old  misereres,  which  are  very  remarkable  and 


ioo  EXETER 

probably  the  oldest  and  most  curious  in  England.  The 
foliage  denotes  the  Early  English  period  and  they  were 
probably  designed  by  Bishop  Bruere  (1224-1244).  No- 
tice the  mermaid  and  merman  on  the  south  side,  the  ele- 
phant, knight  slaying  a  leopard,  a  minstrel,  etc.  The 
lofty  bishop's  throne  was  erected  by  Stapledon,  and  is 
said  to  have  been  taken  down  and  hidden  away  during  the 
Civil  War  period.  The  painted  figures  represent  the 
four  great  bishops — Warelwast,  Quivil,  Stapledon  and 
Grandisson.  The  sedilia  by  Stapledon  are  very  fine. 
Notice  the  carved  lions'  heads  and  the  heads  of  Leofric, 
Edward  the  Confessor  and  his  wife  Editha.  The  east 
window  is  Early  Perpendicular,  inserted  by  Bishop  Bran- 
tingham  in  1390,  and  contains  much  old  glass." — (P.  H.  D.) 

The  miserere  seats  (Thirteenth  Century)  are 
curious  and  beautiful.  They  are  probably  the  ear- 
liest in  England. 

"  They  are  fifty  in  number  and  their  subjects  are  of  the 
usual  character, — foliage,  grotesques,  animals  (among 
which  is  an  elephant)  and  knights  in  combat,  whose 
heater  shields,  flat  helmets  and  early  armour  are  espe- 
cially noticeable.  Remark,  on  the  south  side  of  the  choir 
a  mermaid  and  a  merman  holding  some  circular  instru- 
ment between  them,  the  elephant  mentioned  above  and  a 
knight  sitting  in  a  boat  drawn  by  a  swan,  an  illustration 
of  the  romance  of  the  Chevalier  au  Cygne.  On  the  north 
side  a  knight  attacking  a  leopard,  a  monster  on  whose 
back  is  a  saddle  with  stirrups,  a  minstrel  with  tabor  and 
pipe,  a  knight  thrusting  his  sword  into  a  grotesque  bird 
and  a  mermaid  holding  a  fish.  The  Early  English  char- 
acter of  the  foliage,  as  well  as  its  graceful  arrangement, 
should  be  noticed  throughout." 

"  On  the  south  side,  the  superb  BISHOP'S  THRONE  tower- 
ing almost  to  the  roof.  This  was  the  gift  of  Bishop  Bothe 
(1465-1478),  It  is  said  to  have  been  taken  down  and  hid- 
den during  Monmouth's  Rebellion." — (R.  J.  K.) 

"The  Bishop's  Throne  (A.D.  1316),  intended  for  his 
Lordship  with  a  chaplain  on  either  side ;  '  a  magnificent 
sheaf  of  carved  oak,  put  together  without  -a  single  nail,  and 
rising  to  a  height  of  57  feet.  The  lightness  of  its  ascend- 


EXETER  101 

ing  stages  almost  rival  the  famous  sheaf  of  fountains  of 
the  Nuremberg  tabernacle.  The  cost  of  this  vast  and 
exquisitely  carved  canopy  (about  twelve  guineas)  is  sur- 
prisingly small,  even  for  those  days.  The  carved  work 
consists  chiefly  of  foliage,  with  finials  of  great  beauty, 
surmounting  tabernacled  niches,  with  a  sadly  untenanted 
look,  however,  for  lack  of  their  statuettes.  The  pin- 
nacle corners  are  enriched  with,  heads  of  oxen,  sheep, 
dogs,  pigs  and  monkeys.'  Next  came  what  is  perhaps 
the  most  exquisite  work  in  stone  in  England,  as  the  throne 
is  unparalleled  in  woodwork — the  SEDILIA;  the  seats  of 
the  priest  to  the  east  and  to  the  west  of  him,  those  of 
the  Gospeller  and  Epistoler.  The  sedilia  have  been 
preferred  even  to  the  shrine  of  Beverley  and  the  Lady- 
Chapel  of  Ely.  'The  canopy  of  the  seat  nearest  the 
altar,'  says  Mr.  Garland,  '  deserves  particular  attention. 
It  is  adorned  with  a  wreath  of  vine  leaves  on  each  side, 
which  meet  at  the  point  and  there  form  a  finial ;  and  never 
did  Greek  sculptor  of  the  best  age  trace  a  more  exact 
portrait  of  the  leaf  of  the  vine,  nor  design  a  more  grace- 
ful wreath,  nor  execute  his  design  with  a  more  masterly 
finish.'  It  is  regrettable  that  the  carving  of  the  sedilia 
is  attributed  to  a  Frenchman." — (F.  B.) 

Of  the  high  altar  and  reredos,  perhaps  the  most 
magnificent  in  Europe,  carved  at  the  same  period, 
not  a  fragment  remains. 

The  two  most  important  tombs  in  the  choir  are 
those  of  Bishop  Lacey,  who  died  in  1455,  and 
Walter  de  Stapledon,  who  was  murdered  in  Lon- 
don in  1326.  Lacey  has  but  a  plain  slab  at  which 
many  miracles  are  said  to  have  been  done.  Bishop 
Stapledon  lies  under  a  Perpendicular  canopy,  a  fine 
figure  holding  a  crozier  with  his  left  hand  and  a 
book  with  his  right.  Under  the  canopy  is  a  figure 
of  the  Saviour,  and  at  its  side  the  small  figure  of 
a  king  crowned  and  wearing  a  scarlet  robe,  sup- 
posed to  be  Edward  II.  Bishop  Stapledon's  body 
was  removed  from  London  to  Exeter  Cathedral  by 


102  EXETER 

the  Queen's  command  and  interred  with  great 
magnificence. 

From  the  choir  two  chapels  open.  On  the  north, 
St.  Andrew's,  very  early  Decorated,  is  ex- 
actly like  the  opposite  one,  St.  James's.  Beneath 
the  latter  is  the  ancient  Crypt.  Both  chapels  have 
chambers  above  them. 

Beyond  the  Choir,  the  ambulatory,  or  procession- 
path  (Early  Decorated),  with  Speke's  Chantry  on 
the  left  or  north  and  Bishop  Oldham's  on  the  right 
or  south,  leads  to  the  Lady  Chapel.  This  was  built 
by  Quivil,  and  is  remarkable  for  its  beautiful 
foliage  carvings,  old  reredos,  graceful  openings  to 
the  chantries  on  either  side  and  magnificent  east 
window. 

"  Quivil  first  transformed  the  Lady-Chapel ;  to  him  are 
due  the  shafts,  sedilia,  double  piscina,  and  the  vaulting, 
the  rib-mouldings  of  which  are  of  earlier  character  than 
those  of  the  choir;  and  the  windows,  which  closely  re- 
semble those  of  Merton  College,  Oxford,  which  we  know 
was  commenced  in  1277.  In  the  centre  of  the  Lady- 
Chapel  Bishop  Quivil  is  buried;  he  died  in  1291.  The 
chapels  on  either  side  may  have  been  remodelled  or  partly 
remodelled  by  Bronescombe;  but  the  east  windows  are 
later  in  style,  and  are  Quivil's.  The  piers  hereabout  are 
very  interesting.  Those  of  the  Lady-Chapel  looking  into 
the  side  chapels  are  composed  of  four  columns.  The 
north-east  and  south-east  piers  of  the  choir  have  clusters 
of  eight  shafts  instead  of  four;  while  in  the  pier  between 
them  the  cluster  of  eight  is  developed  into  a  cluster  of 
sixteen  columns.  Finally  notice  that  these  piers  are  set 
diamond-wise,  with  four  flat  faces,  and  the  angles  to  the 
north,  west,  south  and  east." — (F.  B.) 

In  the  centre  of  the  pavement  is  the  tombstone 
of  Bishop  Peter  Quivil  (died  1291),  author  of  the 
present  plan  of  the  cathedral.  Other  effigies  of 
bishops  are  interesting  works  of  art,  but  those  of 


EXETER  103 

Sir  John  and  Lady  Doddridge  are  very  curious. 
Sir  John  (died  1628),  one  of  James  I.'s  judges  of 
the  King's  Bench,  was  called  "  the  sleepy  judge," 
because  he  always  sat  on  the  bench  with  closed 
eyes ;  but  more  interesting  is  Lady  Doddridge,  who 
wears  a  rich  dress  brocaded  with  roses  and  carna- 
tions and  also  a  remarkable  ruff  and  headdress. 

Under  the  arches  opening  from  the  Lady-Chapel 
to  the  side  chapels  are  tombs  of  Bishops  Brones- 
comb  and  Stafford.  Bishop  Bronescomb's  effigy 
(1280),  on  the  south  side,  is  a  fine  piece  of  carv- 
ing. Stafford's  opposite  (1419)  is  of  alabaster,  and 
it  is  famous  for  the  rich  tabernacle-work  above  the 
head. 

We  have  been  long  attracted  by  the  lovely  East 
window.  Now  we  can  see  the  details. 

"  The  east  window  is  early  Perpendicular  and  was  in- 
serted by  Bishop  Brantingham  about  1390.  The  stained 
glass  with  which  it  is  filled  is  for  the  most  part  ancient 
and  very  fine.  Much  of  it  dates  apparently  from  the  first 
half  of  the  Fourteenth  Century  (temp.  Edward  I.  and  II.) 
and  was  removed  from  the  earlier  window ;  the  shields 
below  are  those  of  early  bishops  and  benefactors ;  the 
figures  of  saints  above,  most  of  which  are  to  be  recog- 
nised by  their  emblems,  deserve  careful  notice.  Begin- 
ning with  the  lowest  row,  and  at  the  left  hand,  are  St. 
Margaret,  St.  Catherine,  St.  Mary  Magdalene,  St.  Bar- 
bara, the  Virgin  and  Child,  St.  Martin,  St.  Peter,  St. 
Paul  and  St.  Andrew.  All  these  figures  are  under  very 
rich  and  varied  canopies.  The  first  three  and  the  last 
three  are  of  the  first  period ;  the  others  of  Brantingham's 
time.  In  the  middle  row  are  St.  Sidwell,  or  Sativola,  be- 
lieved to  have  been  a  British  lady  of  noble  birth,  and 
contemporary  with  St.  Winifred  of  Crediton  (first  half 
of  the  Eighth  Century).  Her  legend  asserts  that  she 
was  beheaded  by  a  mower  at  the  instigation  of  her  step- 
mother, who  coveted  her  possessions,  near  a  well  outside 
the  walls  of  Exeter.  In  the  window  St.  Sativola  appears 


104  EXETER 

with  a  scythe  in  her  left  hand,  whilst  at  her  right  is  a 
well  with  a  stream  of  water  flowing  from  it.  These  em- 
blems may  either  form  a  rebus  of  her  name  (scythe- well) 
or  refer  to  her  martyrdom.  Beyond  St.  Sidwell  are  St. 
Helena,  St.  Michael,  St.  Margaret,  St.  Catherine,  Edward 
the  Confessor  and  St.  Edmund.  All  the  figures  in  this 
row  are  of  Brantingham's  period.  The  three  figures  in 
the  uppermost  row  are  Abraham,  Moses  and  Isaiah. 
These  are  of  the  first  period.  The  tone  of  colour  through- 
out this  window  is  very  fine  and  solemn.  The  heraldry 
in  the  upper  part  of  the  window  is  modern.  In  the  north 
clerestory  windows  of  the  central  bay  are  four  headless 
figures  of  early  Decorated  character.  The  beautiful  run- 
ning pattern  forming  the  ground  on  which  they  are  placed 
should  be  noticed."— (R.  J.  K.) 

In  the  north-choir-aisle  is  a  curious  tomb  with  a 
cross-legged  effigy  of  a  Fourteenth  Century  knight 
in  armour  with  one  esquire  at  his  head  and  another 
holding  a  horse  at  his  feet.  This  is  supposed  to  be 
a  memorial  to  Sir  Richard  de  Stapledon,  a  brother 
of  the  Bishop. 

Returning  as  we  came,  we  pass  the  Chantry  of 
St.  George,  founded  by  Sir  Thomas  Speke  in  1518. 
It  is  a  mass  of  rich  carving.  The  effigy  of  the 
founder  lies  within. 

Opposite  is  Bishop  Oldham's  Chantry,  also  a 
mass  of  carving,  where  the  owl  in  the  panels  refers 
to  his  name  (the  word  old  is  pronounced  owld  in 
Lancashire,  where  the  Bishop  was  born).  The 
Bishop's  effigy  lies  in  a  niche  in  the  south  wall. 

"The  Tudor  work  (1485-1519)  is  exceptional  in  im- 
portance. It  includes  the  north  entrance  and  other  late 
portions  of  the  western  screen,  two  exquisite  chapels 
both  built  by  Bishop  Oldham — his  own  chantry  (St. 
Saviour's)  on  the  south  side  of  the  retro-choir,  the  Speke 
chantry  (St.  George's)  on  the  north — and  in  addition, 
Prior  Sylke's  chantry  on  the  north  transept.  All  this 


EXETER  105 

work  is  admirable  in  design  and  execution.  In  Oldham's 
chantry  is  a  charming  series  of  owls  with  the  scroll  Dam, 
a  rebus  on  his  name,  proceeding  from  the  beak  of  each 
little  owl.  To  Bishop  Oldham  also  (1504-1519)  is  due 
the  grand  set  of  stone  screens — one  of  the  glories  of 
the  cathedral — no  less  than  ten,  which  veil  all  the  nine 
chapels  and  Prior  Sylke's  chantry,  and  add  fresh  beauty 
to  the  beautiful  choir." — (F.  B.) 

At  the  extreme  end  of  the  east  aisle  is  the  Chapel 
of  St.  Mary  Magdalene,  probably  the  work  of 
Bishop  Bronescomb,  who  died  in  1280.  The  east 
window,  which  resembles  that  of  the  opposite  chapel 
of  St.  Gabriel,  contains  some  stained  glass  of  the 
Fifteenth  Century.  In  this  chapel  a  fine  Eliza- 
bethan monument  to  Sir  Gawain  Carew,  his  wife 
and  their  nephew  Sir  Peter  should  be  noticed.  It 
dates  from  1589.  A  staircase  here  leads  to  the 
roofs  of  the  north-choir-aisle  and  of  the  ambula- 
tory. The  views  of  the  Cathedral  obtained  here  are 
very  fine,  especially  of  the  flying-buttresses. 

St.  Gabriel's  Chapel  is  similar  to  that  of  St. 
Mary  Magdalene.  Bishop  Bronescomb's  patron 
saint  was  St.  Gabriel  the  Archangel,  whose  feast 
was,  in  consequence,  celebrated  in  Exeter  Cathe- 
dral with  the  same  solemnity  as  those  of  Christmas 
and  Easter.  A  monument  by  Flaxman  to  General 
Simcoe,  who  died  in  1806,  having  distinguished  him- 
self at  the  head  of  the  Queen's  Rangers  during  the 
American  war,  and  a  splendid  statue  of  Northcote, 
the  painter,  by  Chantrey  claim  attention. 

Finally  summing  up  the  characteristics  of  this 
glorious  fane : 

"Whatever  else  the  student  and  lover  of  Gothic  archi- 
tecture omits,  he  must  not  omit  to  visit  Exeter.  He  will 
find  it  fresh  and  different  from  anything  he  has  seen 
before.  Its  unique  plan,  without  central  or  western  towers, 


io6  EXETER 

the  absence  of  obstructive  piers  at  the  crossing,  the  con- 
sequently uninterrupted  vista,  the  singleness  and  unity  of 
the  whole  design,  the  remarkable  system  of  proportions, 
based  on  breadth  rather  than  height,  the  satisfying  mas- 
siveness  and  solidity  of  the  building,  inside  and  outside, 
and  at  the  same  time  the  airiness  and  lightness  of  the  in- 
terior, the  magnificence  of  its  piers  of  marble,  the  de- 
lightful colour-contrast  of  marble  column  and  sandstone 
arch,  the  amazing  diversity  of  the  window  tracery,  the 
exquisite  carving  of  the  corbels  and  bosses,  the  abundant 
and  admirable  Tudor  work,  the  wealth  of  chantries  and 
monuments,  the  superb  sedilia,  screen  and  throne,  the 
misereres,  the  vaults,  the  extraordinary  engineering  feats 
from  which  its  present  form  results,  the  originality  of 
the  west  front  and  of  the  whole  interior  and  exterior, 
place  Exeter  in  the  very  forefront  of  the  triumphs  of  the 
Mediaeval  architecture  of  our  country." — (F.  B.) 


WELLS 

* 

DEDICATION:  ST.  ANDREW. 

SPECIAL  FEATURES  :  WEST  FRONT  ;  EAST  END  ;  INVERTED 
ARCHES  IN  NAVE  ;  CHAPTER-HOUSE  ;  CARVINGS  OF  CAPI- 
TALS ;  CHAIN-GATE. 

THE  site  of  this  beautiful  cathedral  had  long 
been  sacred  to  the  Britons  on  account  of  its  wells, 
or  springs,  when  the  early  Christians  on  coming  to 
Glastonbury  placed  these  waters  under  the  protec- 
tion of  St.  Andrew.  King  Ina's  house  of  secular 
canons  was  established  here  in  704,  not  far  from 
the  older  Glastonbury,  which,  according  to  legend, 
was  established  by  Joseph  of  Arimathea.  At  the 
beginning  of  the  Tenth  Century,  a  new  bishopric 
was  founded  by  Edward  the  Elder  for  the  prov- 
ince of  Somerset;  and  the  Abbot  of  Glastonbury 
was  made  Bishop  of  Wells. 

"  Seen  from  a  distance,  the  picturesque  group  of  towers 
and  pinnacles  derives  increased  effect  from  the  beauty  and 
variety  of  the  surrounding  landscape.  On  one  side  rises 
the  long  ridge  of  the  Mendips,  with  its  rocky  outliers; 
whilst  in  the  southern  distance  the  lofty  peak  of  Glaston- 
bury Tor  lifts  itself  above  the  marches,  marking  the 
site  of  what  was  generally  believed,  throughout  the  Mid- 
dle Ages,  to  have  been  the  earliest  Christian  church  in 
Britain,  if  not  the  first  in  Christendom.  The  Cathedral 
itself  seems  to  nestle  under  its  protecting  hills;  and  the 
waters  of  the  Bishop's  moat,  sparkling  in  the  sunshine, 
indicate  the  spring  or  great  well  which  led  King  Ina  to 
establish  his  church  here,  and  which  had  perhaps  rendered 
the  site  a  sacred  one  as  well  in  the  days  of  the  Druids  as 
in  those  of  that  primitive  British  Christianity  which 
disappeared  before  the  heathendom  of  the  advancing 
Saxons. 

107 


108  WELLS 

"  From  whatever  direction  the  visitor  enters  the  Close, 
he  must  pass  under  one  of  the  three  gatehouses  built  by 
Bishop  Beckington  (1443-1464),  all  of  which  display  his 
shield  of  arms  and  his  rebus, — a  beacon  inflamed  issuing 
from  a  tun  or  barrel.  Over  the  Chain-Gate  passes  the 
gallery  which  connects  the  Vicars'  College  with  the 
Cathedral.  The  gate,  called  the  Penniless  Porch,  opens 
to  the  Market-place;  but  the  Cathedral  will  be  best  ap- 
proached for  the  first  time  through  Browne's  gate,  at  the 
end  of  Sadler-street.  From  this  point  an  excellent  view 
of  the  west  front  is  obtained,  rising  at  the  end  of  a 
broad  lawn  of  greensward,  bordered  with  trees.  The 
Cathedral  close  of  Wells  is  scarcely  so  picturesque  as 
those  of  Salisbury  or  of  Winchester.  It  is  more  open, 
however,  and  its  short,  bright  turf  contrasts  very  effectively 
with  the  grey  stone  of  the  buildings  which  encircle  it  and 
with  the  grand  old  church  itself.  This,  with  the  excep- 
tion of  its  pilasters  of  Purbeck,  is  built  throughout  with 
stone  from  the  Doulting  quarries,  about  nine  miles  from 
Wells."— (R.  J.  K.) 

During  the  rule  of  Robert  (1135-1166)  discord 
and  jealousy  between  the  men  of  Bath  and  Wells 
rose  to  such  a  pitch  that  it  was  determined  the 
bishops  should  in  future  be  styled  "  of  Bath  and 
Wells  "  and  elected  by  an  equal  number  of  monks 
and  canons  from  the  abbey  and  collegiate  church. 
Bishop  Robert  rebuilt  and  repaired  the  Saxon  cathe- 
dral which  had  fallen  into  decay.  Robert's  work 
has  entirely  perished.  The  next  builders  were 
Bishop  Reginald  Fitz-Jocelyn  (1171-1191)  and 
Bishop  Jocelin  of  Wells  (1206-1242),  who  rebuilt 
the  Cathedral  as  we  see  it  to-day.  Jocelin  was  able 
to  consecrate  parts  of  it  in  1239. 

Jocelin,  the  great  "  maker  of  Wells,"  bishop 
from  1206  to  1242,  and  his  brother,  Hugh  (after- 
wards Bishop  of  Lincoln),  were  natives  of  Wells; 
here  Jocelin  served  as  canon  and  Hugh  as  arch- 
deacon. Both  were  rich.  Hugh,  who  lavished 


WELLS  109 

money  upon  Lincoln,  also  gave  much  to  Jocelin  for 
Wells.  Jocelin  spent  his  entire  fortune  upon  his 
beloved  Cathedral.  This  Jocelin  must  not  be  con- 
fused with  the  earlier  Reginald  Fitz-Jocelyn,  bishop 
from  1171  to  1191. 

"  The  part  which  he  built,  there  can  be  little  doubt,  in- 
cluded the  three  western  bays  of  the  choir  (which  then 
formed  the  presbytery)  the  transepts,  north  porch  and  the 
eastern  bays  of  the  nave.  That  is  to  say,  on  entering 
the  church,  one  is  looking  upon  Reginald's  work,  and  not 
Jocelin's ;  for,  although  the  rest  of  the  nave  was  com- 
pleted by  Jocelin,  it  was  done  in  accordance  with  Regi- 
nald's original  plan.  It  is  of  great  importance  to  remem- 
ber this  fact,  since  until  recently  the  nave,  with  the  other 
parts  just  mentioned,  was  attributed  by  Professor  Willis, 
Professor  Freeman,  and  most  authorities  to  Jocelin." — 
(P.  D.) 

Jocelin  also  built  the  famous  west  front  and  be- 
gan the  Bishop's  Palace. 

In  1248  an  earthquake  did  some  damage  to  the 
central  tower,  and  repairs  were  at  once  undertaken. 
The  canons  generously  contributed  funds  which 
were  augmented  by  the  help  of  a  local  saint.  Bishop 
William  Bytton,  nephew  of  the  bishop  of  the  same 
name  (who  lies  in  St.  Catherine's  Chapel),  died  in 
1274;  and  his  remains  soon  began  to  cure  the  tooth- 
ache. His  tomb  in  the  south-choir-aisle  was  vis- 
ited by  sufferers,  and  the  famous  western  capitals 
in  the  transept  doubtless  refer  to  their  cures. 

For  the  next  fifty  years  and  more,  much  was 
done  to  the  Cathedral  by  the  energetic  John  de 
Godelee,  dean  from  1306  to  1333,  who  finished  the 
Lady  Chapel  in  1326. 

In  1318  the  canons  voluntarily  offered  a  fifth 
of  their  salaries  to  raise  the  central  tower,  which 
was  carried  up  three  more  stages  and  finished  in 


no  WELLS 

1321 ;  and  in  1325  they  began  new  stalls,  each  canon 
having  agreed  to  pay  for  his  own  stall.  In  1337 
and  1338  the  whole  church  was  thrown  into  dis- 
may on  account  of  fractures  in  the  tower;  for  the 
tower  appears  to  have  sunk  deeply  into  the  earth, 
owing  to  pressure  on  the  arches.  All  the  masonry 
was  disturbed ;  and  in  order  to  remedy  this  trouble, 
the  curious  double  arches  were  inserted,  to  help 
support  the  strain.  The  original  arches  were  also 
patched  up  and  filled  in  with  great  blocks  of  stone 
and  strengthened  in  various  ways. 

Much  was  due  to  Bishop  Ralph  of  Shrewsbury 
(1329-1363),  who  was  buried  before  the  High 
Altar  in  the  Choir  he  had  founded.  He  also  fin- 
ished the  Palace  begun  by  Jocelin.  Bishop  Hare- 
well,  who  died  in  1386,  gave  two-thirds  of  the  cost 
of  the  south-west  tower  called  by  his  name;  and 
the  executors  of  Bishop  Bubwith  finished  the  north- 
west tower  that  bears  his  name. 

Bishop  Beckington  built  the  lovely  gateways,  and 
Dean  Gunthorpe  (died  1498),  the  Deanery. 

The  eastern  walk  of  the  Cloister  and  the  Library 
above  date  from  between  1407  and  1424;  and  the 
western  and  southern  Cloister  walks,  between  1443 
and  1464. 

"  Late  researches  have  shown  that  Bishop  Reginald  began 
the  present  church  and  that  the  Early  English  work 
should  be  divided  into  four  periods:  (i)  The  three  west- 
ern arches  of  the  choir,  with  the  four  western  bays  of  its 
aisles,  the  transepts  and  the  four  eastern  bays  of  the 
nave,  which  are  Reginald's  work  (1174-1191),  and  so  early 
as  to  be  still  in  a  state  of  transition  from  the  Norman.  It 
is  a  unique  example  of  transitional  building,  and  Willis 
calls  it  '  an  improved  Norman,  worked  with  consider- 
able lightness  and  richness,  but  distinguished  from  the 
Early  English  by  greater  massiveness  and  severity/  The 


WELLS  in 

characteristics  of  this  late  Twelfth  Century  work  are  bold 
round  mouldings,  square  abaci,  capitals,  some  with  traces 
of  the  classical  volute,  others  interwoven  with  fanciful 
imagery  that  reminds  us  of  the  Norman  work  of  Glaston- 
bury;  while  in  the  north  porch,  which  must  be  the  earliest 
of  all,  we  even  find  the  zigzag  Norman  moulding.  (2) 
The  rest  -of  the  nave,  which  was  finished  in  Jocelin's 
time — that  is  to  say,  in  the  first  half  of  the  Thirteenth 
Century — preserves  the  main  characteristics  of  the  earlier 
work,  though  the  flowing  sculptured  foliage  becomes 
more  naturalistic,  and  lacks  the  quaint  intermingling  of 
figure  subjects.  (3)  The  west  front,  which  is  Jocelin's 
work,  and  alone  can  claim  to  be  of  pure  Early  English 
style.  (4)  The  chapter-house  crypt,  which  is  so  late  as  to 
be  almost  Transitional,  though,  curiously  enough,  it  con- 
tains the  characteristic  Early  English  dog-tooth  moulding 
which  is  found  nowhere  else  except  in  the  west  window. 
From  this,  we  reach  the  Early  Decorated  of  the  staircase, 
the  full  Decorated  of  the  chapter-house  itself,  the  later 
Decorated  of  the  Lady-Chapel,  the  transitional  Deco- 
rated of  the  presbytery,  and  the  full  Perpendicular  of  the 
western  towers.  Much  of  the  masonry  in  the  transepts, 
choir,  choir  aisles,  and  even  in  the  eastern  transepts, 
bears  the  peculiar  diagonal  lines  which  are  the  marks  of 
Norman  tooling.  This  does  not,  of  course,  prove  that 
any  part  of  Bishop  Robert's  church  is  standing,  for 
mediaeval  builders  were  notoriously  econqmical  in  using 
up  old  masonry,  but  it  does  show  that  there  are  more 
remains  of  his  work  in  the  building  than  was  generally 
supposed." — (P.  D.) 

The  Cathedral  was  much  damaged  during  the 
Reformation  and  also  during  Monmouth's  rebellion 
in  1685,  when  the  Duke's  followers  stabled  their 
horses  in  it  and  enjoyed  a  barrel  of  beer  on  the 
high  altar. 

There  is  a  nave  of  nine  bays,  a  space  under 
the  tower,  a  choir  opening  eastward  of  it  and 
two  transepts  (each  of  four  bays)  with  aisles  open- 
ing north  and  south.  The  choir  from  the  screen  to 


H2  WELLS 

the  high  altar  occupies  six  bays;  a  retro-choir  of 
two  bays  lies  behind  the  altar ;  and  beyond  it  again 
is  an  apsidal  Lady-Chapel.  The  west  front  has 
been  much  admired,  but  some  critics  consider  it 
too  heavy  for  the  short  towers  that  abut  on  it.  The 
windows  of  the  nave  and  transepts  are  Decorated. 
The  windows  of  the  choir  are  more  ornate,  al- 
though in  the  same  style,  and  those  of  the  Lady- 
Chapel  are  still  more  so.  The  central  tower  (Per- 
pendicular) is  entirely  covered  with  panelling. 
There  is  no  spire.  On  the  south  side  large  cloisters 
open  from  the  south-western  tower  and  from  the 
western  aisle  of  the  south  transept;  but  there  are 
only  three  walks,  there  being  none  on  the  north 
side.  The  Chapter-House  is  approached  from  the 
north  side  of  the  choir  by  a  short  passage  and  a 
flight  of  steps:  a  crypt  lies  under  it.  A  beautiful 
porch,  with  parvise,  opens  into  the  sixth  bay  of 
the  north  aisle.  From  the  eastern  aisle  of  the 
north  transept  the  Chain-Gate  passes  to  the  Vicars' 
College,  a  double  row  of  picturesque  houses,  dating 
from  1360. 

"  The  Chain-Gate,  in  its  association  with  the  Chapter- 
House  and  the  Vicars'  Close,  is  unique.  The  incline  of 
the  steps,  easily  to  be  distinguished  from  without,  gives 
the  corner  a  character  quite  its  own.  And  the  entrance 
to  the  Green  by  this  gate,  with  the  Cathedral  on  one  side, 
balanced  by  the  varied  gables  and  roofs  of  the  houses 
opposite,  is  particularly  striking.  The  exterior  of  the 
Chapter-House  comes  into  full  view;  the  great  central 
tower  stands  boldly  up  against  the  sky;  the  eastern  gable 
presents  its  curious  apex,  and  the  Lady-Chapel  below 
stands  like  a  thing  separate  from  the  rest.  Beyond,  and 
under  the  Chain-Gateway,  an  arch  admits  to  the  Vicars' 
Close — a  charming  street,  lined  on  either  side  with  diminu- 
tive dwelling-houses,  once  the  separate  residences  of  the 
vicars  choral.  At  the  top  of  the  close  is  a  small  Per- 


WELLS  113 

pendicular  chapel  with  a  library  above.  The  interior  is 
profusely — almost  grotesquely — decorated  in  a  manner  to 
remind  one  to  some  extent  of  those  strange  little  oratories 
so  frequently  met  with  in  other  parts  of  Europe.  But  to 
many  it  will  possess  a  certain  charm,  despite  its  florid 
adornments,  not  often  realised  in  this  country.  The 
Vicars'  Hall,  a  considerable  portion  of  which  is  of  the 
Fourteenth  Century,  with  additions  of  a  tower  and  other 
features,  probably  by  Bishop  Beckington,  stands  at  the 
bottom  of  the  street  and  communicates  through  the  gal- 
lery of  the  Chain-Gate  with  the  Chapter-House  staircase, 
and  thus  with  the  cathedral.  By  this  gallery  the  choristers 
passed  into  the  church." — (A.  A.) 

The  celebrated  West  Front 

"consists  of  a  centre,  in  which  are  the  three  lancets  of 
the  western  window  and  above  them  a  gable  receding  in 
stages,  with  small  pinnacles  at  the  angles;  and  of  two 
wings  or  western  towers,  projecting  beyond  the  nave,  as 
at  Salisbury.  The  upper  part  of  these  towers  is  of  Per- 
pendicular character.  That  to  the  north-west  was  com- 
pleted by  Bishop  Bubwith  (1407-1424),  whose  statue  re- 
mains in  one  of  the  niches:  that  to  the  south-west  was  the 
work  of  Bishop  Harewell  (1366-1386).  Both  these  towers, 
fine  as  are  their  details,  have  a  somewhat  truncated  ap- 
pearance; and  it  is  probable  that  the  original  Early  Eng- 
lish design  terminated  at  the  uppermost  band  of  sculpture. 
The  three  western  doors  are  of  unusually  small  dimen- 
sions, perhaps  in  order  to  leave  ample  room  for  the  tiers 
of  figures  which  rise  above  them.  Six  narrow  but- 
tresses at  the  angles  of  which  are  slender  shafts  of  Pur- 
back  marble,  supporting  canopies,  divide  the  entire  front 
into  five  portions.  The  whole  of  the  statues  which  fill 
the  niches  are  of  Doulting  stone." — (R.  J.  K.) 

Many  visitors  are  at  the  first  sight  disappointed 
at  the  mutilated  and  archaic  expression  of  the  fig- 
ures ;  but  they  have  commanded  the  greatest  ad- 
miration ever  since  old  Fuller  wrote :  "  The  west 
front  of  Wells  is  a  masterpiece  of  art  indeed,  made 


H4  WELLS 

of  imagery  in  just  proportion,  so  that  we  may  call 
them  vera  et  spirantis  signa.  England  affordeth 
not  the  like." 

The  West  Front  should  be  considered  as  a  great 
screen  intended  for  the  display  of  statuary  rather 
than  as  the  west  termination  of  the  nave.  The  stone 
population,  numbering  about  three  hundred  life- 
size  or  colossal  figures,  is  only  equalled  by  that  of 
Rheims  and  that  of  Chartres.  All  critics  agree 
that  these  statues,  so  notable  for  their  graceful 
draperies  and  spiritual  expressions,  rank  with  the 
contemporary  masterpieces  of  Italy  and  France. 
They  are  thought  to  have  been  made  by  Italian 
sculptors  at  the  time  when  Niccola  Pisano  was  re- 
viving sculpture  in  Italy  under  the  inspiration  of 
classical  models.  The  kings,  queens,  princes, 
knights  and  nobles  wear  the  costume  of  the  Thir- 
teenth Century.  The  other  figures  are  prophets, 
angels,  martyrs  and  "  the  holy  church  throughout 
the  world." 

Unlike  the  monumental  west  fronts  of  France, 
with  their  splendid  porches  and  doors,  the  doors 
of  Wells  have  been  compared  to  "  rabbit-holes  on  a 
mountain-side." 

The  western  towers  projecting  beyond  the  aisles 
of  the  nave  give  additional  breadth  to  the  west 
front.  The  arrangement  resembles  that  of  Rouen. 
The  two  towers  are  very  similar.  Both  have  two 
belfry  windows  on  each  side  and  a  stair  turret  on 
the  outer  western  angle.  The  spires  were  never 
added. 

The  Central  Tower  is  Early  English  to  the  level 
of  the  roof,  and  the  two  upper  stages  are  Decorated. 
From  its  summit  a  beautiful  view  is  to  be  enjoyed. 

The  North  Porch  (Norman)  is  the  oldest  part 


§ 

fo 

H 
c/j 


C/3 

W 


WELLS:    NORTH  PORCH 


WELLS  115 

of  the  church.    Some  architects  consider  it  the  finest 
piece  of  architecture  at  Wells. 

"  The  entrance  is  doubly  recessed  and  has  the  zigzag 
ornament  among  its  mouldings,  an  indication,  if  not  of 
its  early  construction,  at  least  of  lingering  Norman  tradi- 
tions among  its  builders.  These  mouldings  deserve  the 
most  careful  attention.  The  outer  or  dripstone,  is  formed 
of  a  very  beautiful  combination  of  Early  English  foliage. 
Square  panels  on  either  side  of  the  arch  contain  figures 
of  mystic  animals,  one  of  which  is  a  cockatrice.  The 
gable  above  has  a  blind  arcade,  in  the  centre  of  which 
a  small  triplet  gives  light  to  a  parvise  chamber.  From 
the  buttress  at  the  angles  rise  slender  spire-capped  pin- 
nacles. The  buttresses  themselves  are  flat  and  narrow. 

"  The  interior  of  the  porch  is  divided  into  two  bays,  and 
its  walls  are  lined  with  a  double  arcade,  the  upper  row 
of  arches  being  more  deeply  recessed  than  the  tower.  The 
vault  springs  from  a  central  group  of  triple  shafts.  The 
sculptures  of  the  capitals  on  the  east  side  possibly  repre- 
sent the  death  of  King  Edmund  the  Martyr  (A.D.  870), — 
bound  to  a  tree  as  a  mark  for  the  Danish  arrows  and 
afterwards  beheaded.  The  figures  are  well  designed,  and 
full  of  life  and  character.  The  double  doorway  leading 
into  the  nave  displays,  like  the  exterior  arch,  the  Norman 
zigzag."— (R.  J.  K.) 

On  entering  the  Nave  the  visitor  is  at  once  struck 
by  the  noble  proportions,  the  impression  of  great 
length,  the  broad  horizontal  band  of  the  triforium, 
and  the  wealth  of  spirited  and  varied  carving  of 
the  capitals  and  corbels ;  but  the  most  striking  fea- 
ture of  all  is  the  great  inverted,  or  double,  arch  that 
struts  across  the  central  piers  forming  a  St.  An- 
drew's Cross,  by  which  name  it  is  generally  known, 
and  giving  a  grotesque  (we  are  almost  tempted  to 
say  Chinese)  appearance. 

"  Undoubtedly  the  first  thing  that  the  stranger  notices  in 
Wells  Cathedral,  and  the  last  that  he  is  likely  to  forget, 


n6  WELLS 

is  the  curious  contrivance  by  which  the  central  tower  is 
supported.  Of  the  three  pairs  of  arches  (the  upper  arch 
resting  inverted  upon  the  lower)  which  stretch  across  the 
nave  and  each  of  the  transepts,  that  in  the  nave  is  seen 
at  once,  and  lends  a  unique  character  to  the  whole  church. 
At  first  these  arches  give  one  something  of  a  shock,  so 
unnecessarily  frank  are  they,  so  excessively  sturdy,  so  very 
English,  we  may  think.  They  carry  their  burden  as  a 
great-limbed  labourer  will  carry  a  child  in  a  crowd,  to  the 
great  advantage  of  the  burden  and  the  natural  dissat- 
isfaction of  the  crowd.  In  fact,  they  seem  to  block  up  the 
view,  and  to  deform  what  they  do  not  hide. 

"  That  is  the  first  impression,  but  it  does  not  last  for 
long.  Familiarity  breeds  respect  for  this  simple,  strong 
device,  which  arrested  the  fall  of  the  tower  in  the  Four- 
teenth Century,  and  has  kept  its  walls  ever  since  in  per- 
fect security,  so  that  the  great  structure  has  stood  like  a 
rock  upon  the  watery  soil  of  Wells  for  nearly  seven  cen- 
turies, with  its  rents  and  breaks  just  as  they  were  when 
the  damage  was  first  repaired.  The  ingenuity,  too,  of 
these  strange  flying-buttresses  becomes  more  and  more 
evident ;  the  '  ungainly  props '  are  seen  to  be  so  worked 
into  the  tower  they  support,  that  they  almost  seem  like 
part  of  the  original  design  of  the  first  builders.  One  dis- 
covers that  it  is  the  organ,  and  not  the  arches,  that  really 
blocks  the  view,  and  one  marvels  that  so  huge  a  mass  of 
masonry  can  look  so  light  as  to  present,  with  the  great 
circles  in  the  spandrels  where  the  arches  meet,  a  kind  of 
pattern  of  gigantic  geometrical  tracery.  Indeed  I  think 
no  one  who  has  been  in  Wells  a  week  could  wish  to  see 
the  inverted  arches  removed. 

"To  appreciate  the  work  fully,  it  should  be  looked  at 
from  some  spot,  such  as  the  north-east  corner  of  the 
north  transept,  whence  the  three  great  pairs  of  arches  can 
be  seen  together.  The  effect  from  here  is  very  fine,  espe- 
cially when  the  nave  is  lighted  up  and  strong  shadows  are 
cast.  The  extreme  boldness  of  the  mouldings,  the  ab- 
sence of  shafts  and  capitals  and  of  all  ornament,  give 
them  a  primitive  vigour,  and  their  great  intermingling 
curves,  which  contrast  so  magnificently  with  the  little 
shafts  of  the  piers  beyond,  seem  more  like  a  part  of  some 


WELLS  117 

great  mountain  cavern  than  a  mere  device  of  architectural 
utility."— (P.  D.) 

The  general  effect  of  the  Nave  is  that  of  length 
rather  than  height,  largely  due  to  the  continuous 
arcade  of  the  triforium  which  leads  the  eye  irre- 
sistibly eastwards,  and  the  comparatively  restricted 
height  of  the  Cathedral  has  been  increased  by  bold 
vaulting,  and  by  the  way  the  lantern  arches  fit  into 
the  vault.  A  little  study  will  show  the  visitor  the 
separation  between  the  late  Twelfth  Century  work 
of  Reginald  de  Bohun,  or  Fitz-Jocelyn,  and  the 
Thirteenth  Century  work  of  Jocelin.  These  dif- 
ferences lie  in  the  masonry  and  the  carved  heads 
and  the  capitals. 

The  heads  of  a  king  and  bishop,  projecting  from 
the  south  side  between  the  fourth  and  fifth  piers, 
mark  the  point  of  change  eastward:  the  masonry 
of  piers,  walls  and  aisle  walls  is  in  small  courses 
of  stone;  westward,  the  blocks  are  larger,  eastward, 
small  human  heads  project  at  the  angles  of  the 
pier-arches  and  westward  there  are  none;  east- 
ward, the  tympana  of  the  triforium  arcade  are 
filled  with  carvings  of  grotesque  animals  and  small 
heads  at  the  corners,  and  westward,  the  tympana 
are  filled  with  foliage  and  ornamented  with  larger 
heads.  There  are  also  other  differences. 

"  Certainly  it  is  an  unusual  instance  of  an  architect 
deliberately  setting  himself  to  complete  the  works  of  an 
earlier  period  in  faithful  accordance  with  the  original 
plan ;  and  we  may  well  be  grateful  to  him  for  his  modesty. 

"All  the  carving  is  most  interesting  and  beautiful:  the 
caps  and  corbels  of  the  vaulting  shafts;  the  little  heads 
at  the  angles  of  the  arches,  which  are  vivid  sketches  of 
every  type  of  contemporary  character;  and  the  carvings 
in  the  tympana,  which  are  best  in  the  seventh,  eighth  and 
ninth  bays  (counting  from  the  west  end),  those  on  the 


n8  WELLS 

north  excelling  in  design  and  execution,  while  those  on 
the  south  are  more  grotesque.  But  the  capitals  of  the 
piers  are  the  best  of  all,  and  the  most  hurried  visitor 
should  spare  some  time  for  the  study  of  these  remarkable 
specimens  of  sculpture,  vigorous  and  lifelike,  yet  always 
subordinated  to  their  architectural  purpose.  Those  in  the 
transepts  *  are  perhaps  the  best,  but  the  following  in  the 
nave  should  not  be  missed : — 

North  side,  Sixth  Pier  (by  north  porch)  :  Birds  pluming 
their  wings :  Beast  licking  himself :  Ram :  Bird  with 
human  head,  holding  knife  (?). 

"  Eighth  Pier.  Fox  stealing  goose,  peasant  following 
with  stick:  Birds  pruning  their  feathers.  (Within  Bub- 
with's  Chapel)  Human  monster  with  fish's  tail,  holding 
a  fish :  Bird  holding  frog  in  his  beak,  which  is  extremely 
long  and  delicate. 

"  Ninth  Pier.  Pedlar  carrying  his  pack  on  his  shoulders, 
a  string  of  large  beads  in  one  hand.  Toothless  monster 
with  hands  on  knees. 

"  South  side,  Seventh  Pier.  Birds  with  human  heads,  one 
wearing  a  mitre. 

"  Eighth  Pier.  Peasant  with  club,  seized  by  lion : 
Bird  with  curious  foliated  tail  (within  St.  Edmund's 
chapel).  Owl:  Peasant  with  mallet  (?)." 

If  we  look  back  towards  the  west  end  of  the 
Nave  we  note  an  arcade  of  five  arches,  the  middle 
one  widest  of  all  to  accommodate  the  two  small 
arches  of  the  doorway.  The  three  lancet  windows 
are  Perpendicular,  remodelled,  and  some  of  their 
dogtooth  moulding,  medallions  in  the  spandrels  and 
little  corbel  heads  of  Early  English  work  remain. 
There  is  a  gallery  below  the  sill  of  the  window. 

The  two  western  towers  form  two  small  tran- 
septs that  project  beyond  the  aisles.  Each  is  con- 
nected with  the  aisle  by  an  arch.  The  Chapel  of 
the  Holy  Cross  under  Bubwith's  Tower  (north) 
is  the  choir-boys'  vestry.  The  chapel  under  Hare- 

*  See  p.  120. 


WELLS  119 

well's  Tower  (south)  is  used  by  the  bell-ringers. 
An  Early  English  doorway  leads  from  it  into  the 
Cloister. 

"The  nave,  as  far  as  the  piers  of  the  central  tower, 
consists  of  ten  bays,  divided  by  octangular  piers,  with 
clustered  shafts  in  groups  of  three.  The  capitals  are 
enriched  with  Early  English  foliage,  much  of  which  is  of 
unusually  classical  character, — one  of  the  many  indica- 
tions of  a  lingering  local  school,  with  its  Norman  tradi- 
tions. Birds,  animals  and  monsters  of  .various  forms — 
among  which  is  the  bird  with  a  man's  face,  said  to  feed 
on  human  flesh — twine  and  perch  among  the  foliage. 
Above  the  pier  arches  runs  the  triforium,  very  deeply  set, 
and  extending  backward  over  the  whole  of  the  side 
aisles.  The  roof  retains  its  original  position.  (The 
whole  arrangement  should  be  compared  with  the  Norman 
triforia  of  Norwich  and  Ely,  both  of  which  extend  over 
the  side-aisles;  but  their  exterior  walls  have  been  raised 
and  Perpendicular  windows  inserted).  The  narrow  lancet 
openings  toward  the  nave  are  arranged  in  groups  of  three, 
with  thick  wall-plates  between  them.  The  head  with  each 
lancet  is  filled  with  a  solid  tympanum,  displaying  foliage 
and  grotesques,  of  which  those  toward  the  upper  end  of 
the  south  side  are  especially  curious.  At  the  angles  of 
the  lancets  are  bosses  of  foliage  and  human  heads,  full 
of  character.  In  the  upper  spaces  between  each  arch 
are  medallions  with  leafage.  Triple  shafts,  with  en- 
riched capitals,  form  the  vaulting-shafts,  the  corbels  sup- 
porting which  deserve  examination.  A  clerestory  win- 
dow (the  tracery  is  Perpendicular,  and  was  inserted  by 
Bishop  Beckington  (1443-1464)  opens  between  each  bay 
of  the  vaulting,  which  is  groined,  with  moulded  ribs  and 
bosses  of  foliage  at  the  intersections." — (R.  J.  K.) 

In  the  clerestory  of  the  sixth  bay  on  the  south 
side  there  is  a  Music  Gallery,  early  Perpendicular, 
the  front  of  which  consists  of  three  panels  with 
large  quartrefoils  containing  shields.  It  is  very 
fine,  but  not  equal  to  the  Minstrels'  Gallery  in  Ex- 
eter. It  is  finished  with  an  embattled  cornice. 


120  WELLS 

The  aisles  of  the  Nave  are  of  the  same  archi- 
tectural character  as  the  Nave  itself.  Among  the 
striking  capitals  are: 

Fifth  shaft.    Peasants  carrying  sheep,  with  a  dog. 

Ninth  shaft.  Man  in  a  rough  coat  carrying 
foliage  on  his  back. 

Tenth  shaft.  Mason  carrying  a  hod  of  mortar 
and  a  mallet;  opposite  side  of  arch:  Peasant  in 
hood  with  staff  and  opposite  this  two  heads,  evi- 
dently with  toothache. 

The  greater  part  of  the  glass  of  the  West  Win- 
dow was  collected  by  Bishop  Creyghton  in  1660- 
1670,  excellent  Sixteenth  Century  representations 
of  the  history  of  John  the  Baptist.  Possibly  Creygh- 
ton added  the  figures  of  King  Ina  and  Bishop  Ralph 
in  the  other  lights,  for  the  southern  one  also  bears 
his  arms.  The  top  and  bottom  of  the  middle  light 
are  said  to  have  come  from  Rouen  in  1813. 

Now  we  will  examine  the  transepts. 

"  The  transepts  seem  to  have  been  built  before  the  nave, 
but  some  of  the  carved  work  of  the  capitals  and  corbels 
is  of  later  date  than  the  nave.  The  capitals  on  the  west 
side  of  both  transepts  are  among  the  finest  in  England. 
Many  refer  to  the  toothache. 

"North  Transept:  first  Pier.— (Inside  the  Priest  Vicars' 
vestry)  A  prophet  (?)  with  scroll  on  which  there  is  no 
name:  Man  carrying  goose.  (Outside)  Head  with  tongue 
on  teeth. 

"  Second  Pier. — Aaron  writing  his  name  on  a  scroll : 
Moses  with  the  tables  of  stone. 

"  Third  Pier. — Woman  with  a  bandage  across  her  face. 
Above  this  cap  the  corbel  consists  of  a  seated  figure, 
naked,  with  distorted  mouth  and  an  agonised  expression! 

"South  Transept,  second  pier  (from  the  south  end). 
Two  men  are  stealing  grapes,  one  holds  the  basket  full, 
the  other  plucks  grapes,  holding  a  knife  in  his  other 
hand:  The  farmers  in  pursuit,  one  carries  a  spade  and 


WELLS  121 

the  other  a  pitchfork:  The  man  with  the  fork,  a  vigorous 
figure,  catches  one  thief :  The  man  with  the  spade  hits 
the  other  (whose  face  is  most  woe-begone)  on  the  head. 

"  Third  pier. — Woman  pulling  thorn  out  of  her  foot : 
Man  with  one  eye,  finger  in  his  mouth :  Baboon  head : 
Cobbler;  this  figure  shows  very  plainly  the  method  of 
shoemaking  at  this  time;  the  cobbler  in  his  apron,  sits 
with  the  shoe  on  one  knee,  his  strap  passes  over  the 
knee  and  round  the  other  foot,  his  foot  is  turned  over 
so  as  to  present  the  side  and  not  the  sole  to  the  strap : 
Woman's  head  with  long  hair. 

"  Fourth  pier. — Head  perfectly  hairless :  Elias  P.  (the 
prophet)  with  hand  on  cheek  as  if  he,  too,  has  the  tooth- 
ache :  Head  in  hood,  with  tongue  on  the  one  remaining 
tooth. 

"  It  may  be  well  here  to  say  a  word  about  the  general 
classification  of  these  earlier  capitals,  since  their  date  is  a 
matter  of  great  architectural  interest.  I  would  venture 
to  divide  them  into  five  groups — 

"  (i)  Those  of  the  three  western  bays  of  the  choir: 
simple  carved  foliage  of  distinctly  Norman  character,  as 
in  the  north  porch:  these  belong  to  the  time  of  Reginald 
(1174-1191). 

"  (2)  The  four  eastern  bays  of  the  nave  and  its  aisles. 
Some  of  these  may  belong  to  the  first  period,  though 
later  than  the  choir :  they  are  more  advanced  in  the  foli- 
age, and  teem  with  grotesque  birds  and  beasts.  Some, 
however,  of  the  caps  in  these  bays  are  of  quite  different 
character;  they  contain  genre  subjects  of  perfectly  natural- 
istic treatment,  very  different  to  the  St.  Edmund  of  the 
north  porch  capital ;  but  exactly  similar  to  the  figure  caps 
of  the  transepts.  They  must  therefore  have  been  carved 
later  than  the  death  of  Saint  William  Bytton. 

"  (3)  The  western  bays  of  the  nave.  These,  which  are 
of  much  less  interest,  belong  to  the  period  of  Jocelin's 
reconstruction  (1220-1242).  They  are  characteristic  ex- 
amples of  rich  stiff-leaf  foliage,  freer  than  that  of  the 
earlier  work,  but  much  less  varied  and  without  either 
human  figures  or  grotesques. 

"  (4)  On  the  eastern  range  of  transept  piers.  These 
would  seem  also  to  come  within  Jocelin's  period,  with 
the  exception  of  the  third  pier  of  the  south  transept. 


122  WELLS 

"  (5)  On  the  western  range  of  transept  piers,  with 
which  must  be  classed  those  later  caps  already  referred 
to  in  the  nave  under  group  2.  Their  date  is  settled  by 
the  fact  that  they  abound  in  unmistakable  representations 
of  the  toothache.  Now  Saint  William  Bytton  died  in 
1274,  and  his  tomb  became  immediately  famous  for  cures 
of  this  malady.  In  1286,  the  chapter  decided  to  repair 
the  old  work,  no  doubt  because  the  offerings  at  his  tomb 
had  brought  money  to  the  church." — (P.  D.) 

In  studying  these  fascinating  grotesques,  how- 
ever, we  have  neglected  to  examine  the  two  chan- 
tries in  the  nave — Bishop  Bubwith's  and  Dean 
Sugar's.  They  are  opposite  one  another  and  are 
alike  in  general  characteristics.  The  screen  work 
and  cornices  of  Bubwith's  composed  of  light  and 
elaborate  tracery  are  very  much  admired.  Light 
doorways  permit  entrance.  The  altar  here  was 
dedicated  to  St.  Saviour.  Bishop  Bubwith  (who 
built  the  north-west  tower)  died  in  1424.  His 
arms,  containing  holly-leaves,  are  beautifully  carved. 

Sugar's  Chantry,  about  sixty  years  later  in  date, 
is  even  more  elaborate.  Like  Bubwith's,  it  is  hex- 
agonal and  the  canopy  over  the  altar  is  vaulted  with 
delicate  fan-tracery.  Critics  now  consider  it  the 
finer  of  the  two. 

Adjoining  Sugar's  Chantry  the  stone  Pulpit,  built 
in  the  reign  of  Henry  VIIL,  calls  for  attention.  In 
front  are  the  arms  of  Bishop  Knight,  who  built 
it  and  who  is  buried  near  it  (he  died  in  1547). 
Beside  it,  is  a  brass  lectern  presented  in  1660;  upon 
this  rests  a  Bible  of  the  same  date. 

In  the  South  transept,  we  find  the  Font,  inter- 
esting because  it  is  the  one  relic  of  Bishop  Robert's 
Norman  church.  It  may  have  stood  in  the  earlier 
Saxon  cathedral.  The  cover  is  Jacobean. 

In  the  south  end  of  the  south  transept  is  the 


WELLS  123 

Tomb  of  Bishop  de  Marchia  (died  1302).  The 
effigy  of  the  bishop,  lying  in  a  recess  under  a 
canopy  bristling  with  crockets  and  finials  and  bril- 
liant with  scarlet  and  crimson,  green  and  gold,  is 
very  striking.  Some  of  the  angels  surrounding  the 
figure  are  charming.  It  is  interesting  to  compare 
this  with  the  Tomb  of  Lady  Lisle,  also  adorned 
with  crockets  and  brightly  coloured. 

Perpendicular  stone  screens  divide  the  transepts 
from  their  small  chapels.  The  chapels  of  the  south 
transept  are  St.  Martin's  (now  the  canon's  vestry) 
and  that  of  St.  Calixtus,  enclosed  on  the  side  of 
the  choir-aisle  by  some  beautiful  ironwork  from 
Beckington's  tomb.  On  the  south  side  of  St. 
Calixtus's  chapel  we  must  pause  to  examine  Dean 
Husse's  tomb,  of  alabaster,  and  noted  for  its 
carved  panels  even  in  this  cathedral  of  splendid 
carvings. 

St.  David's  Chapel  in  the  north  transept  com- 
pels us  to  pause  again  to  look  at  the  capital  of  the 
second  transept  pier — a  handsome  head  with  curls 
and  a  smile  on  his  face — and  a  fine  corbel  carved 
into  the  form  of  a  lizard  eating  leaves  of  a  plant 
with  berries.  In  this  chapel  lies  an  interesting 
effigy  of  Bishop  Still  (1543-1607)  in  a  red  robe 
lined  with  white  fur.  Next  comes  the  Chapel  of 
the  Holy  Cross  in  which  is  the  tomb  of  Bishop 
Cornish  (died  1513),  thought  also  to  have  been 
used  as  the  Easter  Sepulchre,  where  the  Host  was 
laid  during  Holy  Week. 

The  north  transept  contains  a  relic  of  the  past 
that  delights  every  one  who  happens  to  be  there  at 
the  striking  of  the  hour.  The  famous  clock  that 
once  belonged  to  Glastonbury  Abbey  is  still  in  work- 
ing order.  A  little  figure  known  locally  as  "  Jack 


124  WELLS 

Blandiver "  kicks  the  quarters  with  his  heels  on 
two  little  bells  and  at  the  hour  four  figures  on 
horseback  above  the  clock  rush  around  and  charge 
each  other.  The  curious  clock  was  made  by  Peter 
Lightfoot,  a  monk  of  the  abbey.  It  was  said  to 
have  been  in  constant  use  at  Glastonbury  for  250 
years  before  it  was  removed  to  Wells  at  the  Disso- 
lution of  the  monasteries. 

From  the  east  aisle  of  the  north  transept  a  door 
opens  to  the  Staircase  that  leads  to  the  Chapter- 
House  and  also  to  the  celebrated  Chain-Gate,  or 
carved  bridge  that  connects  the  Vicars'  College 
with  the  Cathedral.  Through  this  gallery  the 
Vicars  could  pass  from  their  own  Close  into  the 
Cathedral.  The  common  hall  of  their  college 
(1340)  opens  from  it. 

"  There  are  few  things  in  English  architecture  that  can 
be  compared  with  it  for  strange  impressive  beauty;  the 
staircase  goes  upward  for  eighteen  steps  and  then  part  of 
it  sweeps  off  to  the  Chapter-house  on  the  right,  while  the 
other  part  goes  on  and  up  till  it  reaches  the  chain-bridge; 
thus  the  steps  lie,  worn  here  and  there  by  the  tread  of 
many  feet,  like  fallen  leaves,  the  last  of  them  lost  in  the 
brighter  light  of  the  bridge.  Here  one  is  still  almost 
within  the  cathedral,  and  yet  the  carts  are  passing  under- 
neath, and  their  rattle  mixes  with  the  sound  of  the  organ 
within. 

"  The  main  gallery  of  the  Chain-Gate  is  shut  off  by  a 
door,  which,  if  it  were  kept  open,  would  make  the  prospect 
even  more  beautiful  than  it  is.  Two  corbels  which  sup- 
port the  vaulting-shafts  of  the  lower  staircase  should  be 
noticed;  they  both  represent  figures  thrusting  their  staves 
into  the  mouth  of  a  dragon,  but  that  on  the  east  (wearing 
a  hood  and  a  leathern  girdle  round  his  surcoat)  is  as 
vigorous  in  action  as  the  figure  on  the  west  side  is  feeble. 
A  small  barred  opening  in  the  top  of  the  east  wall  lights 
a  curious  little  chamber,  which  is  reached  from  the  stair- 
case that  leads  to  the  roof." — (P.  D.) 


WELLS  125 

The  Chapter-House  is  famous  among  these  beau- 
tiful adjuncts  to  English  cathedrals.  It  has  been 
called  "  a  glorious  development  of  window  and 
vault."  It  was  built  in  the  latter  half  of  the  Geo- 
metrical period  (1280-1315).  Note  the  profusion 
of  ball-flower  ornament  round  the  windows  and 
the  ogee  dripstones  outside. 

"  Of  octagonal  plan,  its  vaulting  ribs  branch  out  from 
sixteen  Purbeck  shafts  which  cluster  round  the  central 
pillar,  typifying  the  diocesan  church  with  all  its  mem- 
bers gathered  round  its  common  father,  the  bishop.  Each 
of  the  eight  sides  of  the  room  is  occupied  by  a  window 
of  four  lights,  with  graceful  tracery  of  an  advanced 
geometrical  type.  These  windows,  which  are  among  the 
finest  examples  of  the  period,  have  no  shafts,  but  their 
arch  mouldings  are  enriched  with  a  continuous  series  of 
the  ball-flower  ornament.  Most  of  the  old  glass  in  which 
ruby  and  white  are  the  predominant  colours,  remains  in  the 
upper  lights.  Under  the  windows  runs  an  arcade  which 
forms  fifty-one  stalls,  separated  into  groups  of  seven  by 
the  blue  lias  vaulting-shafts  at  the  angles,  but  in  the 
side  which  is  occupied  by  the  doorway  there  are  only  two 
stalls,  one  on  either  side  of  the  entrance.  Two  rows  of 
stone  benches  are  under  the  stalls,  and  there  is  a  bench  of 
Purbeck  round  the  base  of  the  central  pier." — (P.  D.) 

Another  authority  says: 

"  At  the  springs  of  the  arches  are  sculptured  heads  full 
of  expression,  kings,  bishops,  monks,  ladies,  jesters;  and 
at  the  angles,  grotesques  of  various  kinds.  A  line  of  the 
ball-flower  ornament  is  carried  round  above  the  canopies. 

"  The  double  arches  at  the  entrance  show  traces  of  a 
door  on  the  exterior.  Remark  the  curious  boss  in  the 
vaulting,  composed  of  four  bearded  faces.  The  diameter 
of  the  chapter-house  is  fifty  feet,  its  height  forty-one 
feet.  Its  unusual,  and  indeed  unique,  features  are — its 
separation  from  the  cloisters  from  which  the  chapter- 
house generally  opens;  and  its  crypt,  or  lower  story, 


126  WELLS 

which    rendered    necessary   the    staircase    by   which    it    is 
approached. 

"  A  most  striking  view  of  the  chapter-house  is  obtained 
from  the  fourth  angle  of  the  staircase,  close  to  the  door- 
way of  the  Vicars'  College.  The  effect  of  the  double- 
door  arches  with  their  tracery,  of  the  central  pier,  the 
branched  ribs  of  the  vaulting,  and  the  fine  windows  is 
magnificent;  and  when  the  latter  were  filled  with  stained 
glass,  must  have  been  quite  unrivalled.  The  chapter- 
house is  by  no  means  the  least  important  of  the  many 
architectural  masterpieces  which  combine  to  place  Wells  so 
high  in  the  ranks  of  English  cathedrals." — (R.  J.  K.) 

The  Crypt,  finished  by  1286,  represents  the  last 
development  of  the  Early  English  style.  It  was 
used  as  the  treasury  where  valuables  were  kept.  It 
is  reached  by  a  dark  passage  from  the  north-choir- 
aisle.  The  odd  corbels  should  be  noted.  The  walls 
are  very  thick,  the  windows  narrow  with  wide 
splays  and  the  vaulting-ribs  spring  from  round  and 
massive  pillars  with  much  effect.  This  Crypt  is 
unusually  high,  because  the  many  springs  at  Wells 
would  not  permit  of  a  subterranean  chamber. 

But  again  we  have  been  led  astray  from  the 
main  body  of  the  Cathedral.  Returning  the  same 
way,  we  again  enter  the  north  transept  and  stand 
beneath  the  splendid  fan-tracery  vault  of  the  tower, 
a  vault,  beautiful  as  it  is,  that  hides  the  lantern  with 
its  arcades.  These,  however,  can  be  seen  during 
the  ascent  of  the  tower. 

The  Screen  dates  from  the  Fourteenth  Century. 

"  The  first  impression  on  entering  the  choir  will  not 
readily  be  forgotten.  Owing  to  the  peculiar  and  most  beau- 
tiful arrangement  of  the  Lady-chapel  and  the  retro- 
choir,  to  the  manner  in  which  the  varied  groups  of  arches 
and  pilasters  are  seen  beyond  the  low  altar  screen,  to  the 
rich  splendours  of  the  stained  glass,  to  the  beautiful  archi- 
tectural details  of  the  choir  itself,  and  to  the  grace  and 


WELLS  127 

finish  of  the  late  restorations,  it  may  safely  be  said  that 
the  choir  of  no  English  cathedral  affords  a  view  more 
impressive  or  more  picturesque.  It  is  difficult  to  deter- 
mine whether  the  effect  is  more  striking  at  early  morn- 
ing, when  the  blaze  of  many-coloured  light  from  all  the 
eastern  windows  is  reflected  upon  the  slender  shafts  of 
Purbeck  and  upon  the  vaulted  roof,  or  at  the  late  winter 
services,  when  the  darkened  figures  of  saints  and  prophets 
in  the  clerestory  combine  with  the  few  lights  burning  at 
the  choristers'  stalls  to  add  something  of  mystery  and 
solemn  gloom  to  the  maze  of  half-seen  aisles  and  chapels. 

"  The  first  three  piers  and  arches  of  the  choir  are  Early 
English,  of  the. same  character  as  those  of  the  nave  and 
transepts,  and  are  probably  the  work  of  Bishop  Jocelin. 
The  remaining  portion,  including  the  whole  of  the  vault- 
ing as  well  as  the  clerestory  above  the  first  three  bays, 
is  very  rich  early  Decorated  (geometrical)  and  deserves  the 
most  careful  study. 

"  The  tabernacle  work  and  the  window  tracery  of  the 
first  three  bays,  although  of  the  same  date,  are  less  rich 
than  those  of  the  eastern  half  of  the  choir.  In  this  latter 
portion  remark  the  triple  banded  shafts  of  Purbeck,  car- 
ried quite  to  the  roof  as  vaulting-shafts,  and  the  taber- 
nacle-work occupying  the  place  of  the  triforium,  deeper 
and  wider  than  in  the  lower  bays.  Under  each  arch  is  a 
short  triple  shaft,  supporting  a  bracket  richly  carved  in 
foliage.  The  sculpture  of  the  capitals  and  of  these 
brackets  is  very  good  and  should  be  noticed.  The  foliage 
has  become  unconventional,  and  has  evidently  been  studied 
from  nature.  Its  diminutive  character,  as  compared  with 
the  Early  English  work  in  the  nave,  is  very  striking. 

"  The  east  end  of  the  choir  is  formed  of  three  arches 
divided  by  slender  piers  above  which  is  some  very  rich 
tabernacle-work,  surmounted  by  an  east  window  of  un- 
usual design.  At  the  back  of  the  altar,  and  between  the 
piers,  is  a  low  diapered  screen,  beyond  which  are  seen 
the  arches  and  stained  windows  of  the  retro-choir  and 
Lady-chapel."— (R.  J.  K.) 

The  stone  vault  is  unusual,  a  sort  of  "  coved 
roof,"  Freeman  calls  it,  "  with  cells  cut  in  it  for  the 
clerestory  windows." 


128  WELLS 

The  three  western  bays  are  Bishop  Reginald's  of 
the  Twelfth  Century.  Here  we  are  in  the  very  old- 
est part  of  the  Cathedral.  Triple  vaulting-shafts  of 
Purbeck  marble  are  carried  down  to  the  floor. 

"  The  clerestory  windows  contain  flowing  tracery  of  an 
advanced  and  not  very  good  type.  In  some  the  plain 
mullions  are  carried  on  through  the  head  of  the  window 
and  intersect  each  other.  Above  the  tabernacle-work  of  the 
east  end  is  the  EAST  WINDOW  of  seven  lights,  the  last  bit 
of  the  Fourteenth  Century  reconstruction,  the  last  flicker 
of  Decorated  freedom.  Its  curious  tracery  is  still  beau- 
tiful, doubly  so  for  the  glass  it  enshrines,  but  the  rule 
and  square  of  Perpendicular  domination  have  already  set 
their  mark  upon  it;  the  two  principal  mullions  run 
straight  up  to  the  window  head,  and  part  of  the  tracery 
between  them  is  rectangular." — (P.  D.) 

The  Cathedral  possesses  sixty-four  Misericords, 
from  the  old  choir-stalls,  regarded  as  among  the 
best  examples  of  mediaeval  wood-carving  in  Eng- 
land. The  skilful  hand  of  the  carver  has  wonder- 
fully represented  griffins  fighting,  mermaids,  apes, 
goats,  dragons,  wyverns,  popinjays,  cats,  foxes, 
peacocks,  monsters,  angels,  eagles,  hawks,  rabbits, 
kings,  peasants — and  many  other  birds,  animals  and 
grotesques. 

The  soft  yet  brilliant  light  sifts  in  from  the  Jesse 
Window  above  the  high  altar.  We  lift  our  eyes 
and  with  some  pains  discern  the  twining  branches 
of  the  vine  with  the  recumbent  figure  of  Jesse  at 
the  base,  resting  his  head  on  his  hand.  From  him 
rises  the  leading  shoot  of  the  tree,  with  the  figures 
of  the  Virgin  and  the  Child  each  with  radiant  nim- 
bus and  beneath  a  golden  canopy.  The  tendrils  of 
the  vine  enwreath  prophets,  priests  and  kings, — 
the  ancestors  of  the  Babe  of  Bethlehem.  Above  is 
a  representation  of  the  Crucifixion;  and  at  the  very 


H 

in 


2 

uj 


WELLS  129 

top  of  the  window,  the  outstretched  wings  of  the 
Holy  Spirit. 

The  choir-aisles  are  of  the  same  character  as 
the  choir  itself  and  are  entered  from  the  transepts 
through  ogee  arches,  ornamented  with  crockets  and 
finials. 

The  south-choir-aisle  contains  the  Tomb  of  Saint 
William  Bytton,  at  which  (the  oldest  incised  slab  in 
England)  offerings  were  made  by  those  suffering 
from  toothache,  as  we  have  already  seen.  Further 
away  is  the  Tomb  of  Beckington,  surrounded  by 
a  beautiful  iron-screen  of  the  same  date  as  the  tomb 
(1452).  The  carving  is  very  fine,  especially  the 
wings  of  the  angels.  A  little  colour  is  left  here  and 
there.  His  effigy  rests  upon  it,  with  old  and  wrin- 
kled face.  This  bishop  said  mass  for  his  own  soul 
here  in  January,  1452,  thirteen  years  before  he  died. 

In  the  south-east  transept,  we  find  the  Chapel  of 
St.  John  Baptist,  where  a  Decorated  piscina  with 
canopy  deserves  attention. 

At  the  extreme  end  of  the  north-choir-aisle  is 
Saint  Stephen's  Chapel  and  at  the  extreme  end  of 
the  south-choir-aisle  is  the  corresponding  Saint 
Catherine's  Chapel.  Both  contain  effigies  of  bish- 
ops, tombs  and  monuments.  Between  and  back  of 
these  is  the  Lady-Chapel. 

We  now  return  to  the  Retro-choir.  Four  slender 
piers  of  Purbeck  marble  bear  up  the  vault.  The 
arrangement  of  the  columns  should  be  particularly 
noticed  here.  It  is  hard  to  realise  that  this  Retro- 
choir  was  merely  a  device  for  connecting  the  Lady- 
Chapel  with  the  Choir,  it  seems  so  entirely  a  part 
of  the  scheme. 

"  The  beauty  of  the  retro-choir,  or  *  procession  aisles,' 
the  arrangement  of  its  piers  and  clustered  columns,  and 


130  WELLS 

the  admirable  manner  in  which  it  unites  the  Lady-chapel 
with  the  choir  should  be  here  remarked.  It  is  throughout 
Early  Decorated.  The  foliage  of  the  capitals  and  the 
bosses  of  the  vaulting  will  repay  careful  examination. 
Many  of  the  vaulting  ribs  appear  to  spring  from  two 
grotesque  heads — one  on  either  side  of  the  low  choir-screen 
— which  hold  them  between  their  teeth.  The  four  sup- 
porting pillars  and  shafts  are  placed  within  the  line  of 
the  choir-piers,  thus  producing  the  unusual  intricacy  and 
variety  of  the  eastward  view  from  the  choir.  At  Salis- 
bury, and  in  all  other  English  cathedrals,  the  piers  of  the 
procession-aisles  are  placed  in  a  line  with  those  of  the 
choir."— (R.  J.  K.) 

Mr.  Bond  thinks  the  Wells  architect  got  his  idea 
for  the  octagonal  Lady-Chapel  by  tacking  on  the 
elongated  octagonal  of  the  Lichfield  Chapter-House 
to  the  rectangular  retro-choir  of  Salisbury. 

"  The  Lady-chapel  is  an  early  work  of  the  Curvilinear 
period;  for  it  seems  to  have  been  complete  in  1324.  The 
windows  have  beautiful  reticulated  tracery  of  early  type. 
There  is  lovely  carving  in  the  capitals,  bosses,  reredos, 
sedilia  and  piscina.  The  Curvilinear  foliated  capitals 
here  and  in  the  choir  should  be  compared  with  the  some- 
what earlier  capitals  of  the  chapter-house,  with  the  early 
Geometrical  capitals  of  the  staircase,  the  Lancet  capitals 
of  the  west  front  and  the  late  Transitional  ones  of  porch, 
nave  and  transepts.  The  ancient  glass  here  and  in  the 
Jesse  window  of  the  choir  is  superb  in  colour. 

"  As  every  one  knows,  it  is  the  most  beautiful  east  end 
we  have  in  England.  It  may  be  worth  while  to  see  how 
this  design  was  arrived  at — a  design  as  exceptional  as  it  is 
effective.  The  simplest  form  of  an  east  end  in  English 
Gothic  is  seen  at  York  and  Lincoln :  it  consists  merely  of 
a  low  wall  with  a  big  window  above  it.  The  next  improve- 
ment is  to  build  an  aisle  or  processional  path  behind  the 
east  end ;  at  the  same  time  piercing  the  east  wall  with  one, 
two  or  three  arches.  This  was  done  at  Hereford  about 
1180;  and  on  a  magnificent  scale  in  the  Chapels  of  Nine 
Altars  at  Durham  and  at  Fountains  early  in  the  Thirteenth 
Century.  But  the  French  apsidal  cathedrals — of  which 


WELLS  131 

we  have  an  example  in  Westminster— have  not  only  an 
encircling  processional  aisle,  but  also  a  chevet  of  chapels 
radiating  out  from  it;  thus  providing  ever-changing  vistas 
of  entrancing  beauty.  The  next  step  in  England  also  was 
to  provide  our  rectangular  choirs  with  a  chevet  as  well  as 
with  a  processional  aisle.  An  early  example  of  this  plan  is 
to  be  seen  at  Abbey  Dore,  in  Herefordshire,  about  1190.  It 
occurs  early  in  the  Thirteenth  Century  on  a  still  grander 
scale  at  Salisbury,  where  one  finds  not  one  but  two  pro- 
cessional aisles,  as  well  as  chapels  to  the  east  of  them; 
and,  in  addition,  a  Lady-chapel  projecting  still  farther 
to  the  east,  thus  producing  a  design  of  great  complexity 
and  beauty.  Nevertheless,  at  Salisbury,  since  the  chief 
supporting  piers  of  the  retro-choir  and  the  chevet  are  in 
a  line  with  those  of  the  choir,  there  is  by  no  means  the 
same  changeful  intricacy  of  vista  that  affords  one  ever 
fresh  delight  in  an  apsidal  church.  At  Wells,  however,  the 
architect  attained  all  the  success  of  the  Continental  builder 
simply  because  he  built  his  Lady-chapel  not  rectangular 
but  octagonal.  For  to  get  this  octagon,  of  which  only 
five  sides  were  supported  by  walls,  he  had  to  plant  in  the 
retro-choir  two  piers  to  support  the  remaning  three  sides; 
and  these  piers  are  necessarily  out  of  line  with  the  piers 
of  the  choir.  He  had  got  the  Continental  vista.  He  saw 
it;  but  he  saw  also  that  it  could  be  improved  upon.  And 
he  did  improve  it,  by  putting  up  an  outer  ring  of  four 
more  piers  round  the  western  part  of  the  octagon  of 
the  Lady-chapel.  It  was  an  intuition  of  genius :  it  makes 
the  vistas  into  the  retro-choir  and  the  Lady-chapel  a 
veritable  glimpse  into  fairyland;  and  provides  here  alone 
in  England  a  rival  to  the  glorious  eastern  terminations  of 
Amiens  and  Le  Mans.  And  that  is  not  all.  We  saw  in  the 
chapter-house  the  grand  effect  of  the  central  stalk  branch- 
ing upward  and  outward  in  all  directions,  like  some  palm 
tree  transmuted  into  stone.  This  beautiful  effect  he  trans- 
fers to  the  retro-choir,  but  multiplied — four  palm  trees  in 
place  of  one;  for  each  of  the  four  external  piers  of  the 
octagon  emulates  the  chapter-house's  central  stalk." — 
(F.  B.) 

The  large  windows  are  filled  with  fine  specimens 
of  Fourteenth  Century  glass  unfortunately  now  jum- 


132  WELLS 

bled  together.  The  East  Window  is  composed  of 
odd  pieces  put  together  by  Willement.  David  and 
other  patriarchs  occupy  the  upper  tier,  and  the 
Virgin,  Eve  and  the  Serpent  and  Moses  and  the 
Brazen  Serpent,  the  lower  tier.  The  upper  lights 
display  angels  with  the  instruments  of  the  Passion, 
emblems  of  the  Evangelists  and  busts  of  bishops 
and  patriarchs. 

"  From  the  south-west  transept  we  pass  into  the 
CLOISTERS,  which  occupy  an  unusual  amount  of  space,  but 
have  only  three  walks  instead  of  the  usual  four. 

"  The  difference  between  a  true  monastic  cloister  and 
this  of  Wells  should  be  remarked.  The  canons  of  Wells 
were  not  monks  and  did  not  require  a  cloister  in  the 
ordinary  sense.  This  is  merely  an  ornamental  walk  around 
the  cemetery.  It  did  not  lead  to  either  dormitory,  refec- 
tory or  chapter-house.  It  served  as  a  passage  to  the 
Bishop's  Palace ;  and  the  wall  of  the  east  walk  is  Early 
English  of  the  same  date  as  the  palace  itself.  The  lavatory 
in  the  east  walk  should  be  remarked,  as  well  as  the  grotesque 
bosses  of  the  roof  in  the  portion  built  by  Bishop  Beck- 
ington.  Over  the  western  cloister  is  the  Chapter  Grammar 
School.  The  central  space  is  known  as  the  *  Palm  Church- 
yard/ from  the  yew-tree  in  its  centre,  the  branches  of 
which  were  formerly  carried  in  procession  as  palms. 
From  the  south-east  angle  of  the  cloisters  we  descend  into 
the  open  ground  within  the  gateway  adjoining  the  market- 
place, and  opposite  the  episcopal  palace.  This  is  sur- 
rounded by  a  moat,  as  well  as  by  strong  external  walls 
and  bastions,  and  would  have  been  capable  of  sustaining 
a  long  siege  according  to  the  mediaeval  system  of  warfare. 
The  moat  is  fed  by  springs  from  St.  Andrew's,  or  the 
'  bottomless  well ' — the  original  '  great  well '  of  King  Ina, — 
which  rise  close  to  the  palace  and  fall  into  the  moat  in  a 
cascade  at  the  north-east  corner.  Both  walls  and  moat 
were  the  work  of  Bishop  Ralph  of  Shrewsbury  (1329- 
i365)."-(R.  J.  K) 

Wells  is  famous  for  its  ancient  houses.  The  old 
Palace  and  the  Deanery  are  still  occupied  by  the 


WELLS  133 

bishop  and  the  dean;  the  canons  and  vicars  also 
live  in  the  individual  houses  built  for  these  ecclesi- 
astics. Wells  was  never  a  monastery  with  a  com- 
mon refectory  and  dormitory:  there  were  always 
secular  priests  here  and  each  man  lived  in  his  own 
house.  Of  all  the  domestic  buildings  the  Bishop's 
Palace  is  the  most  beautiful.  It  is  considered  the 
most  perfect  specimen  of  an  Early  English  house 
that  exists. 


BATH  ABBEY 

DEDICATION:  ST.  PETER  AND  ST.  PAUL.    A  CHURCH  SERVED 

BY  SECULAR  CANONS. 
SPECIAL  FEATURE:  WEST  FRONT. 

STANDING  before  the  West  Front,  we  notice,  first 
of  all,  that  upon  the  angles  of  the  nave  on  either 
side  of  the  great  window  are  two  turrets,  on  the 
face  of  each  of  which  is  carved  a  ladder  with  angels 
ascending  or  descending.  The  space  above  the  win- 
dow is  also  carved  with  angels;  and,  under  a  can- 
opy above  the  group,  stands  a  figure  of  God  the 
Father.  Of  this  strange  decoration  the  following 
story  is  told : 

Oliver  King,  Bishop  of  Exeter,  was  translated  to 
the  See  of  Bath  and  Wells  in  1495.  He  went  at 
once  to  Bath,  and  found  the  church  in  a  dilapidated 
condition.  While  there,  he  had  a  repetition  of 
Jacob's  famous  dream  of  a  ladder  reaching  from 
heaven  to  earth  with  angels  ascending  and  descend- 
ing. Above  them  stood  the  Lord,  who  said :  "  Let 
an  Olive  establish  the  crown  and  a  King  restore  the 
church."  Taking  the  hint,  Bishop  Oliver  King  im- 
mediately set  to  work  to  rebuild  the  church  and 
had  his  dream  recorded  upon  the  west  front.  He 
also  had  an  olive-tree  and  crown  carved  on  each 
of  the  corner  buttresses. 

Bishop  King's  new  church  was  smaller  than  the 
old  one.  It  only  occupied  the  site  of  the  former 
nave.  He  died  before  it  was  finished.  Prior  Wil- 
liam Birde  continued  the  work,  not  forgetting  a 
chantry  for  himself,  which  is  regarded  as  the  best 


BATH  ABBEY  135 

thing  in  the  church.  Birde  died  in  1525;  and  the 
work  was  still  unfinished  when  it  was  seized  by  the 
king's  commissioners.  The  roofless  and  neglected 
church  soon  fell  into  decay;  but  in  1572  it  was 
patched  up  a  little  in  order  that  services  might  be 
held  in  it.  The  east  window  was  glazed  and  the 
choir  was  roofed.  The  nave,  however,  was  not 
roofed  until  Bishop  Montague's  rule  (1608-1616). 

At  the  beginning  of  the  Nineteenth  Century, 
many  mean  houses  that  had  clustered  around 
Bath  Abbey  were  removed,  and  buttresses  and  pin- 
nacles were  added  to  strengthen  the  walls.  Re- 
peated restorations  have  made  it  exceedingly  trim 
in  appearance. 

About  775,  Off  a,  the  Mercian  king,  founded  here 
a  college  of  secular  canons,  who  were  expelled  by 
Dunstan  in  the  Tenth  Century  and  superseded  by 
monks. 

One  great  event  in  the  abbey  church  was  the 
coronation  of  King  Edgar  on  the  Feast  of  Pente- 
cost, 973;  and  for  centuries  afterwards  it  was  the 
custom  to  select  on  Whitsunday  a  "  King  of  Bath  " 
from  among  its  citizens,  in  honour  of  this  circum- 
stance. 

John  de  Villula,  a  Frenchman  from  Tours,  who 
was  Bishop  of  Somerset  in  the  reign  of  William 
Rufus,  greatly  preferred  Bath  to  Wells.  He  was 
able  to  merge  Bath  Abbey  into  the  bishopric;  and 
then  he  began  to  rebuild  the  church  dedicated  to  St. 
Peter.  When  it  was  finished,  he  transferred  the 
bishop's  seat  from  Wells  to  Bath.  This  did  not 
satisfy  Wells,  however,  and  when  Robert  of  Lewes 
became  bishop  of  Bath  and  Wells,  he  seems  to  have 
arranged  matters  by  allowing  the  Bishop  of  Somer- 
set to  have  a  throne  at  St.  Andrew's  in  Wells  and  at 


136  BATH  ABBEY 

St.  Peter's  in  Bath,  the  bishop  to  be  chosen  by  the 
monks  of  Bath  and  the  canons  of  Wells  (See 
page  108). 

The  church  built  by  John  of  Tours  having  suf- 
fered from  fire,  Robert  was  compelled  to  rebuild 
it;  but  subsequent  bishops  neglected  Bath;  and  at 
the  end  of  the  Fifteenth  Century,  when  Oliver  King 
was  removed  here  from  Exeter,  he  found  the  church 
was  in  a  ruinous  condition  and  began  to  rebuild  it, 
as  we  have  seen. 

Bath  Abbey  is  a  very  interesting  example  of  late 
Perpendicular.  It  was  nearing  completion  when  it 
surrendered  to  Henry  VIII.  in  1539,  and  is,  there- 
fore, the  last  expression  of  Gothic  Art.  The  most 
interesting  part  of  the  church  is  the  West  Front, 
with  its  large  window  flanked  by  the  turrets  with 
the  ladders,  already  described.  Each  turret  con- 
tains a  staircase ;  rises  far  above  the  parapet  of  the 
nave;  and  terminates  in  an  embattled  parapet  sur- 
mounted by  an  eight-sided  and  crocketed  pyramid. 

"  The  great  west  window  is  one  of  seven  lights,  divided 
horizontally  into  four  parts.  Below  it  is  a  battlemented 
parapet  with  a  niche  in  the  centre,  in  which,  no  doubt, 
a  statue  formerly  stood,  and  in  which  a  new  statue  has 
recently  been  placed.  At  the  base  of  it  are  the  arms  and 
supporters  of  Henry  VII.  Below  it  is  the  west  door,  be- 
neath a  rectangular  label.  The  spandrels  contain  emblems 
of  the  Passion.  On  either  side  stand  statues  of  St.  Peter 
and  St.  Paul,  to  whom  the  church  was  jointly  dedicated; 
these  seem  to  be  of  Elizabethan  date.  The  doors  them- 
selves were  the  gift  to  the  church  of  the  Lord  Chief 
Justice,  Sir  Henry  Montague,  brother  of  the  bishop  who 
completed  the  church.  On  them  may  be  seen  shields 
bearing  the  arms  of  the  Montagues  and  of  the  Bishop  of 
Bath  and  Wells."— (T.  P.) 

The  Central  Tower  is  oblong  and  rises  two  stages 
above  the  roof.  It  contains  two  pairs  of  windows 


tf 
o 

U 


tx] 

CQ 

M 


BATH  ABBEY  137 

with  rectangular  heads  and  each  corner  is  orna- 
mented by  a  heavy  octagonal  turret  also  terminat- 
ing in  octagonal  pyramids  decorated  with  crockets. 
Similar  pyramids  terminate  the  turrets  that  flank 
the  sides  of  the  east  window  of  the  choir. 

There  is  no  Lady-Chapel. 

Let  us  survey  the  exterior: 

"  The  nave  consists  of  five  bays.  The  clerestory  win- 
dows are  unusually  lofty,  and  are  divided  by  transoms; 
they  are  of  five  lights.  Along  the  top  of  the  clerestory 
wall  is  a  battlemented,  pierced  parapet;  but  the  pattern 
of  the  pierced  openings  differs  from  that  of  the  parapet 
which  runs  along  the  top  of  the  aisle  walls.  The  aisles 
have  five  light  windows  without  transoms;  their  heads  are 
four  centred  arches;  between  each  bay  are  projecting  but- 
tresses of  three  stages  with  gabled  offsets,  finished  with 
crocketed  pinnacles ;  against  them  rest  flying-buttresses 
formed  of  a  lower  semi-arch,  with  a  straight  rectilinear 
truss.  From  the  points  where  the  arched  flying-buttresses 
abut  against  the  clerestory  walls,  vertical,  slightly  pro- 
jecting buttresses  are  built  upwards  against  the  wall  and 
rising  above  the  parapet,  are  finished  by  crocketed  pin- 
nacles. The  same  design  is  carried  right  round  the  church. 
The  clerestory  of  the  transepts  resembles  those  of  the 
nave  and  the  choir/'— (T.  P.) 

Entering,  our  first  and  general  view  is  im- 
pressive, because  of  the  fan-vaulting  and  height  of 
the  Nave.  Owing  to  the  absence  of  horizontal  lines, 
the  vault  seems  higher  than  it  really  is.  There  is 
no  triforium.  A  string-course  runs  above  the 
arches  of  the  main  arcade  beneath  the  clerestory 
windows,  which  are  unusually  tall.  On  account  of 
the  enormous  windows  and  the  absence  of  painted 
glass,  Bath  Abbey  received  the  name  of  the  "  Lan- 
tern of  the  West'';  but  now  that  the  windows  of 
the  nave  and  choir-aisles  have  been  supplied  with 
painted  lights,  the  name  is  less  appropriate.  The 


138  BATH  ABBEY 

tracery  of  these  windows  is,  of  course,  Perpen- 
dicular. The  one  in  the  south-transept  is  a  thanks- 
giving for  the  recovery  of  the  Prince  of  Wales  in 
1872.  The  lower  lights  depict  the  recovery  of 
Hezekiah  and  the  royal  arms  of  the  Prince  and 
Princess  of  Wales  and  also  those  of  the  city  of 
Bath.  The  upper  part  represents  the  Tree  of  Jesse. 
The  great  east  and  west  windows  have  seven  lights. 
The  west  window  contains  subjects  from  Old  Tes- 
tament history,  and  the  east-window,  representa- 
tions of  the  life  of  Christ. 

"  There  is  little  variety  in  the  arches  and  shafts  through- 
out the  church.  This  repetition  is  a  well-known  feature  in 
Perpendicular  work.  The  piers  have  no  general  capital. 
The  shaft  which  carries  the  inner  order  of  the  arch  has  a 
capital,  and  so,  at  the  same  level,  have  the  vaulting-shafts 
of  the  high  vault  and  that  of  the  aisles.  These  shafts 
spring  from  the  bases  of  the  main  pillars.  The  capitals  at 
this  level  are  plain,  and  so  are  the  capitals  of  the  vaulting- 
shafts  of  the  nave  from  which  the  vaulting-ribs  spring. 
But  in  the  choir  the  place  of  these  plain  bands  is  taken 
by  carved  angels.  Carved  angels  also  form  the  termina- 
tion of  the  hood-moulding  of  the  lower  windows  of  the 
south  transept,  and  probably  those  of  the  north  transept 
also,  though  these  windows  are  hidden  by  the  wooden 
pipes  of  the  organ. 

"  Over  the  heads  of  the  clerestory  windows  of  the  nave 
are  small  shields,  and  shields  may  also  be  seen  in  the 
centre  of  the  fan-tracery  in  the  nave,  choir  and  transept. 
In  the  aisles  the  fan-tracery  is  somewhat  different,  as  in 
the  centre  of  each  bay  there  is  a  pendant.  The  vaulting 
of  the  nave  and  its  aisles  and  that  of  the  south  transept 
are  modern,  put  up,  under  the  direction  of  Sir  Gilbert 
Scott,  to  match  the  roof  of  the  choir  and  its  aisles  and 
north  transept  respectively.  The  reredos  was  designed  by 
the  same  architect.  The  oak  screen  across  the  eastern 
part  of  the  south  choir  aisle  is  due  to  his  son.  The  font 
is  also  modern.  In  fact,  beyond  the  walls  and  the  roofing 
of  the  eastern  part  of  the  church,  there  is  little  old  about 


BATH  ABBEY  139 

it.     In   the  clerestory   windows  are   a   few   fragments   of 
Seventeenth-Century   glass— heraldic    shields."— (T.    P.) 

Although  Bath  Abbey  is  full  of  monuments 
(there  are  over  six  hundred  memorial  tablets  be- 
sides statues),  the  only  tombs  that  deserve  atten- 
tion are  those  of  Bishop  Montague,  in  the  fourth 
arch  of  the  nave  on  the  north  side,  and  Lady  Wal- 
ler's Monument  under  the  southern  window  of  the 
transept.  The  figure  of  her  husband,  Sir  William 
Waller,  who  commanded  the  Parliamentary  army 
in  the  Battle  of  Landsdown,  near  Bath,  clad  in 
mail,  gazes  down  upon  his  dead  wife.  Two  weep- 
ing children  kneel  at  her  feet. 

Between  the  choir  and  the  south-aisle  Prior 
Birde's  Chantry  occupies  two  bays.  It  is  a  most 
elaborate  piece  of  carving.  The  rebus  of  the 
founder  (a  bird  and  a  W)  appears  frequently. 
Fan-tracery  decorates  the  vault. 

The  very  fine  organ  is  placed  in  the  transept. 
The  bells  of  Bath  are  famous. 


BRISTOL 

DEDICATION  :  THE  HOLY  TRINITY.     A  CHURCH  SERVED  BY 

AUGUSTINIAN  CANONS. 
SPECIAL  FEATURES  :  EAST  WINDOW   (TRACERY  AND  GLASS)  ; 

CHAPTER-HOUSE  ;    GREAT    GATEWAY. 

THE  West  Front  of  Bristol  gives  us  a  slight  sug- 
gestion of  a  French  cathedral,  for  here  we  find  a 
rose  window  and  a  large  doorway,  at  the  side  of 
which  rise  two  square  towers.  The  balustrade 
above  the  crocketed  gable  of  the  doorway  partly 
hides  the  rose-window. 

The  towers  were  built  in  1887  and  1888:  the 
north-west  is  Bishop  Butler's  Tower  and  the  south- 
west, the  Colston  Tower.  The  Butler  tower  is  en- 
riched with  statues  of  St.  Michael,  St.  Gabriel  and 
the  Angel  of  Praise;  the  Colston,  with  the  Angel 
of  the  Gospel,  St.  Raphael  and  the  Angel  of  the 
Sun.  On  our  right  is  the  Great  Gateway. 

The  exterior  of  Bristol  is  not  very  striking. 
The  buttresses  of  the  Elder-Lady-Chapel  are  Deco- 
rated and  of  the  same  date  as  the  east  window  of 
the  same  chapel.  We  should  also  view  the  great 
east  window  of  the  Lady-Chapel  from  without  and 
the  Central  Tower. 

"  Early  in  the  Fifteenth  Century  a  central  tower  was 
added.  Here  again  one  is  struck  by  the  originality  of  the 
British  people :  it  is  as  beautiful  as  it  is  original.  The 
designer  had  noticed  how  beautiful  is  the  effect  of  a  close- 
packed  range  of  tall  clerestory  windows,  such  as  those  of 
Leighton  Buzzard  Church.  So  instead  of  restricting  him- 
self on  each  side  of  the  tower  to  one  or  two  windows,  he 
inserts  no  less  than  five.  The  range  of  clerestory  win- 
140 


BRISTOL  141 

dows,  which  the  Fourteenth  Century  builder  refused  to 
the  choir,  becomes  the  special  ornament  and  glory  of  the 
tower."— (F.  B.) 

As  we  enter  through  the  North  Porch,  which 
occupies  the  space  between  two  buttresses  and  is 
adorned  with  statues  of  the  Four  Evangelists,  we 
may  remember  that  when  Henry  VIII.  created  the 
diocese  of  Bristol  there  had  been  a  church  and 
monastery  of  Augustine  canons  on  this  site  for 
four  hundred  years.  This  monastery  was  founded 
in  1142  by  Robert  Fitzhardinge,  Lord  of  Berkeley 
Castle.  Of  his  Norman  church  little  remains  but 
portions  of  the  walls  in  both  transepts,  a  staircase 
in  the  north-aisle  leading  to  the  tower,  and  some 
fragments  in  the  choir.  The  Norman  nave  was 
removed  in  1542,  because  it  was  thought  unsafe. 
The  new  nave  and  western  towers  were  completed 
in  1888  by  Mr.  Street,  who  copied  from  the  old, 
repeating  the  vaulting  and  the  recesses  of  the 
eastern  end. 

The  ground  plan  consists  of  a  nave  with  an  aisle 
on  either  side;  a  central  tower  and  transepts;  then 
the  choir  with  north  and  south  aisles;  and  finally, 
the  Lady-Chapel  at  the  end.  On  the  north  of  the 
north-choir-aisle  is  the  first  Lady-Chapel — built  in 
the  Early  English  style,  and  called  Elder-Lady- 
Chapel  to  distinguish  it  from  the  later  Lady-Chapel 
at  the  east  end. 

At  the  south-east  end  of  the  south-choir-aisle  we 
find  the  Berkeley  Chapel;  and  at  the  end  of  the 
south  transept,  the  Newton  Chapel.  Beyond  it  is 
the  Chapter-House  with  its  Vestibule,  and  on  the 
south  and  west  the  remains  of  the  Cloisters. 

Our  best  position  for  viewing  the  Nave  is  from 
the  north  or  between  the  two  big  towers.  It  is  120 


142  BRISTOL 

feet  long,  60  feet  high  and  69  broad  including  the 
aisles.  One  peculiarity  of  Bristol  is  that  the  aisles 
are  of  the  same  height  as  the  Nave;  and  another, 
that  this  Cathedral  has  neither  clerestory,  nor  tri- 
forium.  The  windows  of  the  Nave  are  very  large 
and  are  strengthened  by  transoms. 

The  West  Window  has  for  its  subject  the  Adora- 
tion of  the  Lamb.  The  Choir  consists  of  four  bays. 
It  is  in  the  Decorated  style  and  dates  from  1306 
to  1332. 

"  The  piers  of  the  choir  carry  triple  shafts  which  sup- 
port the  vaulting  of  the  choir,  and  others  for  the  aisles, 
which  are  here  of  the  same  height  as  the  choir.  Capi- 
tals of  great  delicacy  and  beauty,  modelled  from  real 
foliage,  serve  to  break  the  line  of  the  mouldings  and  ac- 
centuate the  springing  of  the  vault.  Graceful  though  the 
span  of  the  roof  is  admitted  to  be,  the  lines  of  the  arcade 
of  the  choir  are  finer,  and  the  effect  of  the  contrast  of 
their  soft  mouldings  carried  up  and  around  without  a 
break  is  excellent.  The  iron  screen-work  that  separates 
the  choir  from  its  aisles  is  uninteresting  and  too  small 
in  scale."— (H.  J.  L.  J.  M.) 

On  either  side  of  the  high  altar  are  canopied  re- 
cesses containing  monuments.  The  reredos  is  a 
memorial  to  Bishop  Ellicott  and  is  rather  too  high, 
therefore  interfering  with  a  good  view  of  the  splen- 
did east  window  in  the  Lady-Chapel.  The  mo- 
saic pavement  is  new,  and  the  stalls  are  also  mod- 
ern. Some  of  the  old  Misereres  have  been  pre- 
served, however,  and  consist  of  grotesques.  Some 
of  them  illustrate  Reynard  the  Fox. 

In  both  aisles  of  the  Choir  we  are  struck  by  the 
very  peculiar  vaulting  designed  by  Abbot  Knowle 
to  strengthen  the  building  and  help  carry  the 
lateral  thrust  occasioned  by  the  heavy  central  vault- 
ing. These  bridges,  or  transoms,  therefore,  do  the 


BRISTOL  143 

work   of   flying-buttresses   as    faithfully   to-day   as 
when  they  were  erected  six  hundred  years  ago. 

"  The  transoms,  features  which  were  repeated  in  the 
windows  of  the  aisles  of  the  choir,  and  in  a  much 
heavier  form  in  the  windows  of  the  nave,  are  additionally 
strengthened  by  the  graceful  arches  below  which  spring 
from  capitals  almost  similar  to  those  on  the  choir  side 
of  the  piers.  From  the  centre  of  each  transom  rises 
a  cluster  of  groining  ribs.  It  has  been  customary  to  speak 
rather  disparagingly  of  this  clever  piece  of  work  of 
Abbot  Knowle  and  to  term  it  carpentry  work  in  stone. 
It  may  be  so,  but  the  student  of  to-day  may  thank  the 
Fourteenth  Century  Abbot  for  a  most  instructive  lesson. 
The  transoms  have  crowned  heads  at  either  end  and  in 
the  centre,  and  they,  unlike  the  transoms  in  the  aisles 
of  the  nave,  are  ornamented  with  little  flowers.  Beneath 
the  windows,  which  are  Decorated  in  character,  is  a  string- 
course, with  ball-flower  ornament,  a  feature  which  is 
found  all  round  this  eastern  part.  In  the  south  aisle  the 
vaulting  was  intended  to  be  the  same  as  in  the  north 
aisle,  having  been  planned  by  the  same  architect,  but  a 
difference  in  the  westernmost  bay  shows  it  was  super- 
intended by  a  different  mind.  In  all  probability  it  was 
Knowle's  successor,  Abbot  Snow,  who,  from  1332-1341, 
went  on  with  his  predecessor's  work,  adding  that  part 
called  the  Newton  Chapel."— (H.  J.  L.  J.  M.) 

There  is  not  a  great  deal  of  old  glass  in  Bristol, 
but  some  of  the  Windows  in  this  east  end  are 
worthy  of  careful  study. 

"  The  east  windows  of  the  choir  aisles  are  filled  with 
glass  coloured  with  enamels  in  accordance  with  the  prac- 
tice of  the  Seventeenth  Century  instead  of  glass  coloured 
in  its  manufacture.  They  date  from  the  reign  of  Charles 
II.;  and  although  it  is  traditionally  said  that  they  were 
presented  by  Nell  Gwynne,  it  is  more  probable  that  they 
were  the  offerings  of  Henry  Glenham,  Dean  of  Bristol 
from  1661  to  1667,  and  afterwards  Bishop  of  St.  Asaph. 
The  arms  of  Glemham  (Or,  a  chevron  gules  between 
three  torteaux)  are  repeated  three  times  in  the  window 


144  BRISTOL 

of  the  south  aisle  and  once  in  that  of  the  north.  The 
subjects  (arranged  as  type  and  antitype)  in  the  north 
aisle  are — in  the  centre,  the  Resurrection;  below  Jonah 
delivered  from  the  whale.  On  the  right,  above,  the 
Ascension;  below,  Elijah  taken  up  to  heaven.  On  the 
left,  above,  the  Agony  in  the  garden ;  below,  Abraham 
about  to  offer  up  his  son." — (R.  J.  K.) 

In  the  third  bay  of  the  north  wall  of  this  north- 
choir-aisle  a  doorway  opens  into  a  peculiar  pas- 
sage designed  by  Abbot  Knowle  to  take  the  place 
of  a  triforium.  The  passage  leads  to  a  staircase 
communicating  with  the  central  tower  and  the 
belfry. 

North  of  the  north-choir-aisle  we  come  to  the 
greatly  admired  Early  English  Chapel,  the  Elder 
Lady-Chapel. 

"  The  Lady-Chapel  (generally  called  the  Elder  Lady- 
Chapel  because  the  altar  of  the  Virgin  was  removed  to 
the  east  end  of  the  church  after  Abbot  Knowle  had  re- 
built the  choir)  is  entered  from  the  north-east  corner  of 
the  transept.  The  chapel  is  Early  English,  and  dates,  ac- 
cording to  Mr.  Godwin,  from  the  time  of  Abbot  John 
(1196-1215).  The  chapel  is  of  four  bays,  the  windows  in 
which  are  triplets  with  inner  arches,  of  which  those  at  the 
side  are  gracefully  foliated.  The  detached  vaulting-shafts 
are  of  Purbeck  marble.  The  sculpture  of  the  capitals 
and  string-courses  is  unusually  good;  and  the  spandrels 
of  the  wall-arcade  are  rilled  with  grotesque  designs  which 
are  full  of  spirit  and  character,  greatly  resembling  the 
sculpture  in  Wells  Cathedral,  much  of  which  is  of  the 
same  date.  Remember  especially — a  goat  blowing  a  horn 
and  carrying  a  hare  slung  over  his  back;  a  ram  and  an 
ape  playing  on  musical  instruments ;  and  St.  Michael 
with  the  dragon (?);  below  is  a  fox  carrying  off  a 
foliage.  The  vaulting  of  the  roof  would  seem  to  stamp  the 
English  character."— (R.  J.  K.) 

This  chapel  was  originally  detached  from  the 
rest  of  the  Cathedral.  Beneath  the  two  arches  be- 


w 


I 

2 
CQ 


I 


8 

in 

I-H 

05 

PQ 


BRISTOL  145 

tween  it  and  the  north-choir-aisle  stands  the  Tomb 
of  Maurice,  ninth  Lord  Berkeley  (died  1368). 
Here  he  lies  with  Elizabeth,  his  wife.  The  knight 
is  in  armour  and  his  head  lies  on  a  mitre.  A  good 
groined  canopy  overshadows  these  figures. 

Retracing  our  steps  into  the  choir  and  passing 
into  the  South-choir-aisle,  we  examine  the  Glen- 
ham  window,  which  is  of  the  same  date  as  the 
corresponding  one  in  the  north-choir-aisle. 

The  subjects  are — in  the  centre,  above,  Our  Lord 
Driving  the  Money  Changers  from  the  Temple;  be- 
low, Jacob's  Dream;  on  the  right,  above,  the  Trib- 
ute Money ;  below,  Melchisedec  and  Abraham;  the 
subject  on  the  left,  above,  is  uncertain;  below,  the 
Sacrifice  of  Gideon. 

From  the  western  bay  of  the  south-choir-aisle  we 
enter  the  Newton  Chapel,  where  members  of  the 
Newton  family  lie.  This  dates  from  1332-1341. 
The  style  is  late  Decorated.  The  south  wall  divides 
it  from  the  Chapter-House,  with  which  it  is  parallel. 

On  the  right,  after  passing  out  of  the  Newton 
Chapel,  we  come  to  one  of  Abbot  Knowle's  re- 
cesses. The  foliage  consists  of  oak  leaves  and 
acorns  interspersed  here  and  there  with  tiny  sprays 
of  mistletoe,  an  unusual  ornament,  in  church 
decoration. 

We  next  pass  the  Tomb  of  Thomas,  Lord 
Berkeley,  who  died  in  1243.  He  is  represented  in 
armour.  His  crossed  legs  show  that  he  was  a 
knight-templar.  This  is  the  oldest  monument  in 
the  cathedral.  The  next  recess  contains  the  effigy 
of  Maurice,  Lord  Berkeley,  who  died  in  1281.  He 
is  also  in  armour.  In  the  next  bay  we  pass  up  one 
step  to  the  entrance  of  a  Vestibule  (once  a  sacristy, 
now  a  music-room  for  the  choristers),  a  fine  sped-. 


146  BRISTOL 

men  of  Decorated  work.     Through  this  we  pass 
into  Berkeley  Chapel. 

"  Opposite  the  entrance  door  on  the  south  side  are 
three  ogee  arches  with  niches  between.  In  one  of  these, 
the  third  from  the  west,  was  a  hearth  upon  which  the 
sacramental  bread  was  baked.  The  ornamentation  in  the 
spandrels  and  the  finials  is  curiously  interesting  work  in 
foliage.  The  vaulting  of  the  roof  would  seem  to  stamp  the 
work  as  that  of  Abbot  Knowle.  It  consists  of  curved  ribs, 
quite  detached,  large  in  section,  springing  from  small 
capitals.  The  bosses  are  particularly  fine,  the  foliage 
being  very  flowing  and  free.  It  is  difficult  to  realise  that 
the  mason  has  here  done  in  stone  what  many  wood-carvers 
would  fail  to  do  in  their  softer  material.  The  door  into 
the  Berkeley  Chapel  is  enriched  with  a  niche  overhead, 
and  a  moulding  below  consisting  of  medlers." — (H.  J.  L. 
J.  M.) 

The  Berkeley  Chapel  was  dedicated  to  the  Vir- 
gin Mary.  It  is  thought  that  an  altar  also  stood 
here  to  St.  Keyne,  who  turned  to  stone  all  the 
snakes  in  the  vicinity.  The  ammonites  were  prob- 
ably suggested  by  finding  one  or  two  in  a  piece  of 
stone. 

"There  are  two  windows  toward  the  east,  the  soffetes 
of  which  are  ornamented  with  a  gigantic  ball-flower;  and 
the  peculiar  foliage  on  some  of  the  capitals  should  be 
remarked.  Under  each  of  the  windows  was  an  altar,  the 
steps  and  piscinae  of  which  remain.  The  altars  were 
separated  by  a  screen,  the  marks  of  which  were  visible 
in  the  old  pavement.  Between  the  chapel  and  the  aisle 
the  wall  is  pierced  by  the  peculiar  arch  of  Abbot  Knowle; 
and  under  it,  in  the  thickness  of  the  wall,  is  an  altar-tomb 
much  ornamented  and  containing  five  shields  charged  with 
the  coats  of  the  Berkeley,  Ferrers  and  De  Quincey  fami- 
lies. The  tomb  in  its  present  state  is  no  doubt  that  of 
Thomas,  Lord  Berkeley  (died  1321),  whose  wives  were  of 
those  families ;  but  the  lower  part,  with  its  very  fine  foliage, 
is  of  Early  English  date,  and  may  possibly  have  been 
removed  from  another  part  of  the  church." — (R.  J.  K.) 


BRISTOL  147 

The  Lady-Chapel  is  of  the  same  date  as  the 
Choir.  The  east  end  was  rebuilt  about  1280  and  a 
window  with  geometrical  tracery,  consisting  of 
foliated  circles,  was  inserted.  Until  1895  it  was 
used  as  a  chancel.  It  is  42  feet  long  and  32  feet 
broad  and  consists  of  two  bays.  It  is  lighted  by 
five  windows.  The  central  one  is  a  Jesse  window, 
and  each  of  the  four  side  windows  has  a  transom 
with  rich  tracery  below.  This  rich  tracery  we  no- 
ticed from  the  street.  In  a  good  light  relics  of  the 
ancient  painting  on  the  walls,  representing  angels, 
each  with  a  golden  nimbus,  can  be  seen. 

The  Reredos  of  the  Lady-Chapel  is  partly  Abbot 
Knowle's  work  and  partly  Perpendicular.  On  the 
first  bay  of  the  south  side  are  the  Sedilia,  restora- 
tions of  the  original  cut  away  to  make  room  for  an 
Elizabethan  tomb  of  Sir  John  Young  and  his  fam- 
ily. They  are  in  four  divisions  with  rich  canopies 
of  leafage  supported  by  shafts  of  red  serpentine. 

The  various  recesses  contain  tombs  and  effigies  of 
dignitaries  of  the  Cathedral,  and,  while  the  general 
lines  of  these  recesses  are  similar,  there  is  much 
variety  in  the  treatment  of  details. 

The  splendid  East  Window  is  pure  Decorated 
and  of  great  beauty  in  tracery  and  design.  Most 
of  the  glass  is  old,  which  adds  another  charm  to 
the  lovely  effect  of  the  tracery.  There  is  much 
beautiful  silvery  white  glass  from  which  the  bril- 
liant colours  sparkle  with  great  effect,  and  we  have 
no  difficulty  in  tracing  the  Tree  of  Jesse: 

"The  lower  lights  are  separated  by  vine  tendrils  into 
oval  panels,  twenty-one  in  all.  In  the  lowest  tier  in  the 
centre  is  Jesse  with  David  on  the  right  and  Solomon 
on  the  left  hand.  To  the  left  of  the  latter  are  the 
prophets  Micah,  Haggai,  Malachi;  to  the  right  of  David 


148  BRISTOL 

are  Jeremiah,  Daniel  and  Amos.  In  the  next  tier  the 
central  figure  is  the  Virgin  and  Child  with  Hezekiah  on 
the  left  and  Ahaz  on  the  right,  the  four  kings,  David, 
Solomon,  Hezekiah  and  Ahaz,  representing  the  descent  of 
the  promise.  To  the  left  of  Hezekiah  are  the  prophets 
Jonah,  Habakkuk,  Zechariah;  and  to  the  right  of  Ahaz 
are  Isaiah,  Ezekiel  and  Hosea.  Above  these  two  rows  of 
regular  panels  are  three  panels,  containing  four  subjects — 
the  central  one  giving  us  the  Crucifixion,  with  our  Lord 
in  glory  in  the  upper  part  of  the  light.  In  the  right 
hand  light  is  the  Virgin  Mary,  in  that  on  the  left  is 
St.  John. 

"  In  the  head  of  this  window  there  are  now  seventeen 
blazons  of  arms.  In  the  quatrefoil  at  the  top — the  arms 
of  England  as  used  before  the  time  of  Edward  III.,  viz., 
the  three  lions ;  in  the  two  trefoils  immediately  below  are 
Berkeley  of  Stoke  Gifford  (L),  Berkeley  of  Berkeley 
Castle  (R). 

"  Most  of  the  glass  in  this  upper  part  is  original  and 
is  supposed  by  Mr.  Winston  to  date  between  1312-1322, 
as  the  arms  of  Gaveston,  who  was  murdered  in  1312,  are 
not  in  the  window,  while  the  arms  of  De  Bohun,  who  was 
slain  in  open  rebellion  in  1322,  are  clearly  here.  The 
glass,  then,  is  of  Knowle's  time,  and  being  contemporary 
with  the  masonry,  affords  a  rich  example  of  the  harmony 
of  form  and  colour  about  which  one  hears  so  much  but 
which  one  so  seldom  sees.  It  is  probable  that  the  tracery 
of  the  window  may  have  been  designed  for  Abbot  Knowle 
by  the  builder  of  the  window  at  Carlisle,  also  an  Augus- 
tinian  house.  There  is  a  strong  resemblance  in  the  two 
windows,  both  of  which  are  excellent  work." — (H.  J.  L. 
J.  M.) 

The  four  side  windows  contain  rich  and  inter- 
esting glass  of  the  same  date.  The  one  bearing 
the  arms  of  Mortimer,  Earl  of  March,  has  a  picture 
of  the  Martyrdom  of  St.  Edmund,  the  last  of  the 
native  kings  of  East  Anglia,  who  taken  prisoner  by 
the  Danes  in  870  refused  to  abjure  his  faith.  He 
was  put  to  death.  Here  we  find,  according  to  leg- 
end, the  grey  wolf  watching  over  the  severed  head. 


BRISTOL  149 

The  costume  of  the  soldiers  gives  us  1320  as  the 
date  of  this  magnificent  window.  Beneath  St.  Ed- 
mund are  an  archbishop  and  two  knights,  bearing 
the  arms  of  the  Berkeleys. 

The  tracery  of  the  large  north  window  was  in- 
serted in  1704. 

The  South  Transept  contains  the  tomb  of  Bishop 
Butler,  more  famed  as  the  author  of  the  Analogy 
of  Religion  than  as  Bishop  of  Bristol  (1738-1750). 
The  epitaph  is  by  Southey. 

The  Cloisters,  on  the  south  side  of  the  cathedral, 
are  entered  from  the  south  transept.  From  them 
the  Chapter-House  is  entered. 

The  entrance,  or  vestibule,  of  the  Chapter-House 
shows  a  very  early  example  of  what  may  be  called 
a  pointed  arch.  The  mouldings  and  members  are 
quite  of  the  circular  style  and  character.  From 
north  to  south  the  arches  are  round-headed,  but 
east  and  west  they  are  pointed.  This  Transitional 
Norman  work — dating  from  Fitzhardinge's  time — 
is  of  special  interest. 

"The  chapter-house  is  one  of  the  oldest  parts  of  the 
earlier  fabric  of  the  cathedral,  and  as  Britton  truly  says, 
*  in  its  original  state  must  have  been  one  of  the  most 
interesting  of  the  kind  in  the  kingdom  and  perhaps  in 
Europe.'  In  spite  of  what  it  has  undergone  at  the  hands 
of  architects,  restorers  and  rioters,  it  is  most  interesting 
still,  a  regular  parallelogram  in  shape,  measuring  42  feet 
in  length  by  25  in  breadth  and  25  feet  in  height,  divided 
into  two  bays. 

"The  eastern  wall,  which  dates  from  1831,  has  three 
windows,  and  the  west  wall  has  also  three  round-headed 
arches,  the  central  one  being  the  main  door,  while  the  side 
ones  serve  as  windows,  each  being  subdivided  by  a  small 
pier.  Each  of  these  main  openings  has  a  label  of  cable- 
moulding.  Above  this  cable-moulding  is  an  arcade  of 
interlacing  arches,  borne  by  thirteen  tall  piers,  alternately 


ISO  BRISTOL 

plain  and  twisted;  and  above  this  is  a  semicircular  space, 
also  filled  with  rounded-headed  intersecting  arches,  so 
arranged  as  to  fill  the  semicircular  space.  The  north  and 
south  walls  have  a  plain  round-headed  arcading  below, 
with  a  bold  round  moulding,  while  above  is  an  elabo- 
rate arcading,  similar  to  the  lower  tier  on  the  west  wall, 
but  with  much  richer  capitals.  Above  this  is  interlaced 
lattice-work,  and  above  this  in  one  bay  a  space  covered 
with  zigzag  mouldings.  The  shafts  of  the  arcading  on 
the  walls  are  alternately  richly  carved  or  almost  plain. 
The  clustered  shafts,  from  which  the  main  arch  of  the 
vaulting  springs,  are  peculiarly  rich  in  ornamentation." — 
(H.  J.  L.  J.  M.) 

In  the  Chapter-House  there  is  preserved  a  fine 
piece  of  archaic  sculpture,  which  was  found  under 
the  floor  in  1831  after  the  destructive  fire  of  that 
date,  in  use  as  a  slab  covering  an  ancient  coffin. 
It  represents  the  descent  of  the  Saviour  into  Hell 
and  the  delivery  of  Adam,  and  is  probably  of  the 
same  date  as  the  slabs  in  Chichester. 

The  famous  Great  Gateway,  the  arcading  of 
which  is  much  in  the  style  of  the  Chapter-House,  is 
supposed  to  stand  on  the  site  of  the  principal  en- 
trance to  Fitzhardinge's  monastery.  Though  Nor- 
man in  style  and  probably  containing  a  lot  of 
Norman  masonry,  critics  believe  that  it  is  a  Per- 
pendicular restoration  of  the  old  work. 

This  archway  is  composed  of  four  recessed  or- 
ders enriched  with  chevron  and  other  mouldings 
and  ornaments.  This  must  not  be  confused  with 
the  less  elaborate  Gateway  in  Lower  College 
Green,  probably  of  Fitzhardinge's  time  and 
strengthened  by  Abbot  Newland.  The  latter  was 
the  gateway  to  the  abbot's  dwelling  and  afterwards 
to  the  Bishop's  Palace, 


GLOUCESTER 

DEDICATION:    ST.    PETER:    FORMERLY   THE   CHURCH    OF   A 

BENEDICTINE  ABBEY. 
SPECIAL  FEATURES  :  CENTRAL  TOWER  ;  CHOIR  ;  LADY-CHAPEL  ; 

EAST   WINDOW  ;    CLOISTERS. 

GLOUCESTER  presents  a  fine  view  from  all  points 
of  approach. 

"  As  a  rule,  visitors  see  it  first  from  the  south  side,  and 
the  south-west  general  view  is  one  of  the  best,  equalled,  but 
not  surpassed,  by  that  from  the  north-west.  The  north 
view  from  the  Great  Western  Railway,  with  the  school 
playing-fields  in  the  foreground,  makes  a  striking  picture, 
but  it  is  more  sombre  than  the  picture  formed  by  the 
south  front.  Viewed  from  the  north-west  corner  of  the 
cloister-garth,  the  pile  is  seen  perhaps  at  its  best.  From 
this  point  it  is  easy  to  study  so  much  the  varied  archi- 
tecture of  the  whole,  and  with  little  effort  to  transport  the 
mind  back  for  a  space  of  four  hundred  years.  The  eye 
first  rests  upon  the  turf  of  the  garth  now  tastefully  laid 
out  after  many  years  of  comparative  neglect.  Flanking  the 
garth  on  every  side  are  the  exquisite  windows  of  the 
Cloister — a  cloister  which  no  other  can  surpass.  Above 
the  Cloister  will  be  seen  on  the  eastern  side  the  sober, 
impressive  Norman  work  of  the  Chapter-house  in  which 
so  much  of  our  English  history  has  been  made.  To  the 
south  of  this  is  the  Library,  built  close  against  the  walls 
of  the  north  transept,  which  tower  above,  and  lead  the 
eye  upward  to  the  great  tower  which,  '  in  the  middest  of 
the  church/  crowns  the  whole. 

"  Placed  where  it  is,  almost  in  the  centre  of  the  long 
line  of  the  nave,  continued  in  the  choir  and  Lady-chapel, 
at  the  point  where  the  transept  line  intersects  it,  it  is  the 
chief  feature  of  the  massive  pile.  All  else  seems  to  be 
grouped  with  a  view  to  the  enhancing  of  the  effect  of 
the  central  position  of  the  tower.  The  other  members  of 

15* 


152  GLOUCESTER 

the  building  seem  merely  to  be  steps,  by  means  of  which 
approach  can  be  made  to  it.  It  is  the  grandest  and  most 
impressive  feature  of  the  outside.  No  matter  from 
whence  one  looks  at  it,  the  charm  is  there.  Seen  from  the 
gardens  in  the  side  streets  close  by  when  the  pear-trees 
are  in  bloom,  or  in  the  full  blaze  of  a  hot  summer  day,  or 
again  later  in  the  autumn  when  the  leaves  are  beginning 
to  turn,  or,  better  still,  in  snow  time,  it  is  always  full  of 
beauty.  On  a  bright  hot  day  the  pinnacles  seem  so  far 
off  in  the  haze  as  to  suggest  a  dream  fairyland.  On  a 
wet  day,  after  a  shower,  the  tower  has  the  appearance  of 
being  so  close  at  hand  that  it  almost  seems  to  speak. 
Viewed  by  moonlight,  the  tower  has  an  unearthly  look, 
which  cannot  well  be  described.  The  tower  is  225  feet 
high  to  the  top  of  the  pinnacles,  and  the  effect  of  it  is 
extremely  fine.  From  the  main  cornice  upwards,  the 
whole  of  the  stone-work  is  open,  and  composed  of  what 
at  a  distance  appears  to  be  delicate  tracery,  and  mullions 
and  crocketed  pinnacles." — (H.  J.  L.  J.  M.) 

In  it  hang  the  venerable  bells  that  escaped  the 
king's  commissioners  at  the  Dissolution  of  the  mon- 
asteries in  1553. 

Gloucester  is  notable  for  its  examples  of  the 
Transition  from  Decorated  to  Perpendicular,  which 
probably  originated  in  this  Cathedral. 

The  abbey  of  Gloucester  was  founded  by  Osric, 
viceroy  of  King  Edward,  in  681.  It  was  dedicated 
to  St.  Peter.  Osric's  sister,  Kyneburga,  who  died 
in  710,  was  the  first  Abbess  of  this  double  founda- 
tion for  monks  and  nuns.  Osric  and  Kyneburga 
were  buried  in  the  Abbey  church  in  front  of  the 
altar  of  St.  Petronilla.  In  823,  secular  priests  were 
placed  here  by  the  King  of  Mercia ;  and  in  1022  they 
were  expelled  by  Canute  for  Benedictine  monks. 
When  the  monastery  was  burned  to  the  ground, 
Alclred,  Bishop  of  Worcester,  re-established  the 
monks  in  1058,  and  began  the  building  of  a  new 
church  also  to  St.  Peter, — "  a  little  further  from 


GLOUCESTER  153 

the  place  where  it  had  first  stood,  and  nearer  to 
the  side  of  the  city." 

The  monastery  failed  to  flourish;  Aldred  was 
translated  to  York  in  1060;  and  when  Serlo,  who 
had  been  William  the  Conqueror's  chaplain,  suc- 
ceeded to  Wilstan,  or  Wulstan,  Aldred's  successor, 
he  had  under  him  only  two  monks  and  eight  nov- 
ices. After  fifteen  years  of  energetic  rule  (1072- 
1103),  Serlo  rebuilt  the  Cathedral. 

In  August,  1089,  an  earthquake  damaged  the  then 
existing  building.  Eleven  years  later  (noo),  in 
the  last  year  of  the  reign  of  William  Rufus,  "  the 
church,"  as  Florence  of  Worcester  wrote,  "  which 
Abbot  Serlo,  of  revered  memory,  had  built  from  the 
foundations  at  Gloucester,  was  dedicated  (on  Sun- 
day, July  1 5th)  with  great  pomp  by  Samson,  Bishop 
of  Worcester;  Gundulf,  Bishop  of  Rochester;  Ger- 
ard, Bishop  of  Hereford;  and  Herveas,  Bishop  of 
Bangor."  It  is  thought  that  part  of  the  church  was 
finished  for  the  dedication,  such  as  the  presbytery, 
choir,  the  transepts,  the  Abbot's  cloister,  the  chap- 
ter-house, and  the  greater  part  of  the  nave. 

The  Saxon  Chronicle  tells  us  that  in  1122,  while 
the  monks  were  singing  mass,  fire  burst  out  from 
the  upper  part  of  the  steeple,  and  burnt  the  whole 
monastery.  Between  1164  and  1179  one  of  the 
western  towers  fell  down. 

Repairs  were  consequently  necessary. 

Offerings  at  the  Tomb  of  Edward  II.  were  a 
great  aid  in  providing  funds. 

"  Instead  of  going  on  with  Abbot  Morwent's  rebuilding 
of  the  nave,  the  monks  now  turned  their  attention  to  the 
central  tower.  The  tower  was  of  no  use  as  a  lantern,  for 
the  lierne  vault  of  the  choir  had  been  carried  beneath  it. 
So  it  long  remained  unaltered.  But  in  the  days  of  Abbot 


154  GLOUCESTER 

Seabroke  (1460-1482),  it  was  rebuilt  under  the  super- 
intendence of  a  monk  named  Tully,  to  be  in  character 
with  the  new  exterior  of  choir  and  transepts.  A  very 
imposing  tower  it  is;  fully  able,  from  its  massiveness  as 
well  as  from  its  height,  to  gather  together  the  masses  of 
the  building — all  the  more  so  because  the  transepts  are  so 
short.  It  succeeds  where  the  central  towers  of  Worcester 
and  Hereford  fail;  in  fact,  it  is  as  effective  in  its  way  as 
Salisbury  spire.  The  pinnacles,  again,  bear  witness  to  the 
love  of  these  later  artists  for  harmony  and  unity;  each 
pinnacle,  with  its  two  ranges  of  windows,  is  a  repeat  of 
the  two  stages  of  the  tower  below. 

"Then — after  the  tower  had  been  erected — it  was  de- 
cided to  rebuild  the  Lady-chapel.  So  an  immense  de- 
tached building  was  constructed  to  the  east  of  the  great 
window  of  the  presbytery;  without  aisles,  but  with  little 
transepts;  almost  one  continuous  sheet  of  glass,  and 
with  a  superb  vault.  This  Lady-chapel  had  to  be  joined 
up  to  the  presbytery,  but  the  great  east  window  was 
in  the  way.  However,  the  difficulty  was  got  over  by  a 
series  of  ingenious  shifts  and  dodges,  which  must  be 
seen  to  be  appreciated  (1457-1499). 

"And  so  ended  this  great  building-period  at  Gloucester 
(1330-1499),  which  turned  the  course  of  English  archi- 
tecture; so  that  the  Curvilinear  style  of  1315  to  1360  did 
not  find  its  natural  development  in  Flamboyant,  as  on 
the  Continent,  but  was  switched  off  to  Perpendicular  and 
Tudor  design."—  (F.  B.) 

Let  us  see  what  the  "  shifts  and  dodges  "  referred 
to  above  consisted  of. 

"The  method  of  joining  the  Lady-chapel  to  the  choir 
is  best  noticed  from  the  outside.  It  is  a  piece  of  ex- 
ceedingly clever  and  graceful  construction,  and  there  is 
the  minimum  of  obstruction  to  the  light  passing  through  to 
the  east  window,  and  the  maximum  of  support  to  the 
elliptical  east  window.  Viewing  the  Lady-chapel  from  the 
north  side,  the  play  of  light  through  the  windows  on  the 
south  side  has  a  very  grand  effect.  Under  the  east  end 
of  the  Lady-chapel  is  a  passage  which  has  given  rise  to 
much  speculation  in  bygone  times.  The  Lady-chapel,  at 


cw 


UJ 

L_ 

In 
U 

o 
G 


GLOUCESTER:    TOMB  OF  EDWARD  II. 


GLOUCESTER  155 

the  time  of  its  erection,  was  carried  out  to  the  farthest 
limit  of  the  land  possessed  by  the  Abbey.  As  the  east 
wall  of  the  chapel  was  actually  on  the  western  boundary 
wall  the  passage  was  made  to  give  access  from  the  north 
to  the  south  of  the  grounds,  without  the  need  of  going 
right  round  the  precincts  by  the  west  front" — (H.  J.  L. 
J.  M.) 

During  the  reign  of  Henry  VIII.,  the  Abbey 
which  had 

"  existed  for  more  than  eight  centuries  under  different 
forms,  in  poverty  and  in  wealth,  in  meanness  and  in  mag- 
nificence, in  misfortune  and  success,  finally  succumbed  to 
the  royal  will.  The  day  came,  and  that  a  drear  winter 
day,  when  its  last  Mass  was  sung,  its  last  censer  waved,  its 
last  congregation  bent  in  rapt  and  lowly  adoration  before 
the  altar  there;  and,  doubtless,  as  the  last  tones  of  that 
day's  evensong  died  away  in  the  vaulted  roof,  there  were 
not  wanting  those  who  lingered  in  the  solemn  stillness  of 
the  old  massive  pile,  and  who,  as  the  lights  disappeared 
one  by  one,  felt  that  there  was  a  void  which  could  never 
be  filled,  because  their  old  abbey,  with  its  beautiful  services, 
its  frequent  means  of  grace,  its  hospitality  to  strangers, 
and  its  loving  care  for  God's  poor,  had  passed  away  like 
a  morning  dream,  and  was  gone  for  ever." — (W.  H.  H.) 

Gloucester  has  suffered  from  the  hands  of  restor- 
ers. In  1847,  Mr.  F.  S.  Waller  made  extensive 
repairs.  At  this  time  the  gardens  were  added. 

The  exterior  presents  a  great  variety  of  battle- 
ments and  pinnacles  and  another  interesting  fea- 
ture in  the  exterior  is  the  construction  of  the  two 
passages  which  make  up  the  greater  part  of  the 
so-called  Whispering  Gallery.  This  connects  the 
north  and  south  triforium  of  the  choir. 

The  West  Front  of  Gloucester,  restored  in  1874, 
is  comparatively  uninteresting.  The  buttresses  of 
the  great  window  are  pieced,  as  are  also  the  para- 


156  GLOUCESTER 

pets.  Plain  transoms  cross  the  lights  of  the  great 
west  window,  the  tracery  of  which  is  very  elabo- 
rate when  looked  at  from  within.  The  old  towers 
have  disappeared. 

The  South  Porch  is  the  principal  entrance.  It 
is  the  work  of  Morwent  (1421-1437).  Over  the 
doorway  stand  St.  Peter  and  St.  Paul  and  the  four 
Evangelists,  and  below  them  are  King  Osric  and 
Abbot  Serlo,  the  founders  of  the  Abbey  church. 
In  the  niches  of  the  buttress  stand  St.  Jerome,  St. 
Ambrose,  St.  Augustine  and  St.  Gregory.  The 
windows  of  this  porch  have  been  formed  by  pierc- 
ing the  tracery  of  the  inside.  Over  the  porch  is 
an  unfinished  parvis.  The  doors  date  from  the 
Fifteenth  Century. 

We  now  enter  the  Nave. 

"  The  first  impression  of  the  nave  changes  all  earlier 
thoughts  of  the  age  of  the  building.  It  is  unmistakably 
Norman,  grand  beyond  expression,  but  cold,  severe  and 
deathly  white.  The  stained  glass  (mostly  modern)  of  the 
Norman  and  Decorated  windows  fails  to  supply  the  evi- 
dent lack  of  colour. 

"  There  was  a  time  when  lines  of  blue  and  scarlet  and 
goM  relieved  the  white  vaulted  roof,  when  altars  agleam 
with  colour  and  pale  flickering  lights  gave  light  and 
brightness  to  the  chill  whiteness  of  this  vast  and  mighty 
colonnade.  On  Sunday  evenings,  when  the  nave  is  filled 
with  worshippers  and  the  bright  searching  daylight  is 
replaced  by  the  yellow  gleam  of  the  little  tongues  of  fire 
above  the  great  and  massive  arches,  the  want  of  colour 
is  little  felt,  and  the  noble  and  severe  beauty  of  the  match- 
less Norman  work  in  the  great  nave  strikes  the  beholder. 
The  nave  of  Gloucester,  to  be  loved  and  admired  as  it 
deserves,  and  as  it  appeared  to  men  in  the  days  of  the 
Plantagenet  Kings,  must  be  seen  in  one  of  the  many 
crowded  evening  services. 

"  Save  that  the  altars  with  their  wealth  of  colour  and 
light  are  gone,  and  the  lines  of  colouring  and  the  glint  of 


GLOUCESTER  157 

gold  of  the  Norman  wooden  ceiling  no  longer  are  visible 
on  the  stone-vaulted  roof  above  and  the  south  aisle  Nor- 
man windows  are  replaced  with  exquisite  Decorated  work 
of  the  time  of  the  second  Edward,  there  is  no  great 
structural  change  since  the  day  at  the  close  of  the  Eleventh 
Century  when  Abbot  Fulda  from  Shrewsbury  preached  his 
famous  sermon  to  the  Gloucester  folk,  the  sermon  in 
which  he  foretold  the  death  of  the  imperious  and  cruel 
Rufus  in  words  so  plain,  so  unmistakable,  that  Abbot  Serlo 
of  Gloucester,  who  loved  the  great  wicked  King,  in  spite 
of  his  many  sins,  was  alarmed  and  at  once  sent  to  warn 
his  master,  but  in  vain.  Rufus  disregarded  the  Gloucester 
note  of  alarm,  and  a  few  hours  later  the  news  of  the 
King  of  England's  bloody  death,  in  the  leafy  glades  of 
the  New  Forest,  rang  through  Normandy  and  England. 

"  Yes,  it  is  the  same  nave,  only  colder  and  whiter,  on 
which  Anselm,  the  saintly  archbishop,  and  Rufus  gazed; 
the  same  avenue  of  massy  pillars — then  scarcely  finished — 
through  which  Maud  the  Empress  often  went  to  her 
prayers  with  her  chivalrous  half-brother,  Earl  Robert. 
Beauclerc,  her  father,  too,  and  some  grey-haired  survivors 
of  Hastings  must  have  looked  on  these  huge  columns 
crowned  with  their  round  arches  which  excite  our  wonder 
to-day.  They  were  a  curious  fancy  of  the  architect  of 
Serlo;  or  was  it  not  probably  a  design  of  a  yet  older 
artist  of  Edward  the  Confessor?  These  enormous  round 
shafts,  which  are  the  peculiar  feature  of  the  nave  of  our 
storied  abbey,  have  only  once  been  repeated,  probably  by 
the  same  architect,  in  the  neighbouring  abbey  of  Tewkes- 
bury,  a  few  years  later.  There  is  nothing  like  them  on 
either  side  of  the  silver  streak  of  sea.  The  Tewkesbury 
copies  are  slightly  smaller;  otherwise  they  are  exact  re- 
productions of  Gloucester." — (S.) 

The  Nave  differs  from  other  Norman  naves  like 
those  of  Peterborough,  Ely  and  Norwich. 

"The  unique  features  here  are  the  great  height  of  the 
massive  circular  columns,  fourteen  in  number,  and  the 
consequently  dwarfed  triforium  or  gallery  running  over 
the  main  arches.  There  are  traces  to  be  seen  of  the 
original  Norman  clerestory  under  the  Perpendicular  win- 


158  GLOUCESTER 

dows,  and,  judging  from  this,  the  height  of  the  clerestory, 
as  originally  constructed,  must  have  been  but  little  less 
than  that  of  the  piers  in  the  nave. 

"  This  Norman  clerestory  was  altered  at  the  same  time 
that  the  roof  of  the  nave  was  vaulted — viz.  in  1242,  in  the 
time  of  Henry  Foliot.  This  work  was  done  by  the  monks 
themselves,  who  thought,  as  Professor  Willis  suggests, 
that  they  could  do  it  better  than  common  workmen.  Their 
work  is  made  of  a  light  and  porous  kind  of  stone,  treated 
with  plaster  on  the  under-side,  and  it  was  rendered  neces- 
sary by  the  previous  roof,  which  was  of  wood,  having  been 
destroyed  by  fire  in  1190.  Of  this  fire  the  piers  certainly 
show  the  traces  to  this  day,  all  having  become  reddened 
and  slightly  calcined.  To  make  the  new  clerestory  the 
whole  of  the  original  Norman  work  over  the  arcade  of  the 
triforium  was  removed,  with  the  exception  of  the  jambs 
of  the  side-lights  (which  extended  beyond  the  arches  of 
the  triforium)  and  the  wall  between  them." — (H.  J.  L. 
J.  M.) 

All  the  stone- work  was  originally  painted. 

"  The  painting  may  be  thus  generally  described.  The 
hollow  of  the  abacus  of  the  capitals  was  red,  the  lower 
member  of  the  same,  green ;  the  whole  of  the  bell  red,  the 
leaves  alternately  green  and  yellow,  with  the  stalks,  run- 
ning down,  of  the  same  colours,  into  the  red  bell  of  the 
capital.  The  vertical  mouldings  between  the  marble  shafts 
were  red  and  blue  alternately;  the  lower  shafts  green  and 
blue,  with  red  in  the  hollows,  and  the  foliage  on  these 
also  is  green  and  yellow.  Some  of  the  horizontal  mould- 
ings are  partly  coloured  also.  The  bosses  in  the  groin- 
ing are  yellow  and  green,  as  in  the  capitals.  All  the 
colouring,  which  was  very  rich,  was  effected  with  water 
colours;  in  one  instance  only  has  any  gold  been  discerned, 
and  that  was  upon  one  of  the  bosses  in  the  roof." — 
(F.  S.  W.) 

Abbot  Morwent  pulled  down  the  west  end  of  the 
Nave  in  1421-1437  and  reconstructed  it  in  the  Per- 
pendicular style.  It  is  supposed  that  the  original 


GLOUCESTER  159 

west  front  was  like  that  of  the  Abbey  at  Tewkes- 
bury. 

The  west  window  contains  nine  lights,  filled  with 
modern  glass. 

The  South  aisle,  originally  Norman,  was  remod- 
elled about  1318.  The  tracery  of  the  windows  is 
unusual.  The  ball-flower  is  seen  in  great  profusion 
in  this  part  of  the  Cathedral. 

In  this  aisle  there  is  a  monument  to  Dr.  Jenner 
of  vaccination  fame,  to  whom  the  five-light  west 
window  here  is  also  a  memorial. 

The  tracery  of  the  windows  of  the  clerestory  is 
attributed  to  Abbot  Morwent. 

The  North  aisle  retains  its  original  Norman 
vaulting,  and  the  Norman  piers,  which  correspond 
to  the  piers  in  the  Nave,  are  divided  into  several 
members.  Some  of  their  capitals  are  richly  carved. 
In  each  bay  there  is  some  Perpendicular  tracing. 
A  stone  bench  along  the  wall  is  also  Perpendicular. 

The  door  into  the  Cloister  at  the  west  end  of  the 
aisle  is  very  fine,  and  the  side  niches  and  canopy 
work  over  it  deserve  study. 

The  door  at  the  eastern  end  of  the  aisle  leading 
to  the  Cloisters  is  also  Perpendicular.  Both  doors 
have  fan-vaulted  recesses,  like  the  great  west  door 
of  the  Nave. 

The  west  end  of  the  aisle  is  the  work  of  Abbot 
Morwent  (1421-1437). 

A  heavy  stone  screen,  dating  from  1820,  closes 
the  east  end  of  the  nave.  We  pass  through  a  small 
arch  in  this  screen,  and  beneath  the  broad  platform 
on  which  the  great  organ  stands. 

This  was  originally  built  in  1663-1665  by  Thomas 
Harris,  and  was  painted  and  gilded  in  1666.  The 
oak  case  is  in  the  Renaissance  Style. 


160  GLOUCESTER 

Little  idea  of  the  beauty  of  the  Choir  can  be 
obtained  from  the  Nave.  We  enter  from  the  north 
aisle.  It  is  140  feet  long;  33  feet  7  inches  broad; 
and  86  feet  high. 

"  Looking  upwards,  the  visitor  will  note  the  beauty  of 
the  vaulting  and  the  bosses  placed  at  the  intersection  of 
the  ribs.  These  bosses  at  the  east  end  of  the  choir  chiefly 
represent  a  choir  of  angels  playing  on  various  kinds  of 
musical  instruments,  and  a  figure  of  Our  Lord  in  the  atti- 
tude of  blessing.  All  the  roof  was  originally  probably 
painted  and  decorated,  but  the  existing  colour  and  gilding 
is  recent  work,  having  been  done  by  Clayton  &  Bell.  At 
first  sight  the  groining  of  the  roof  looks  most  complicated, 
but,  if  analysed  and  dotted  down  on  paper,  it  will  be  seen 
to  be  in  reality  a  simple  geometrical  pattern.  The  bosses 
will  repay  careful  examination  with  a  glass. 

"  Viewed  from  the  door  in  the  screen,  the  choir  looks 
in  very  truth  a  piece  of  Perpendicular  work,  as  the  Nor- 
man substructure  is  then  for  the  most  part  concealed.  A 
closer  examination,  however,  will  prove  that  the  Nor- 
man work  is  all  there — that  it  has  been  veiled  over  with 
tracery  from  the  floor  level  to  the  vaulting  with  open 
screen-work,  fixed  on  to  the  Norman  masonry,  which  was 
pared  down  to  receive  it." — (H.  J.  L.  J.  M.) 

The  general  impression  is  striking: 

"  The  choir  on  which  you  are  now  looking  is  very  long — 
not  too  long,  however,  for  its  great  height — for  the  fretted 
roof,  a  delicate  mosaic  of  tender  colours  set  in  pale  gold, 
soars  high  above  the  vaulting  of  the  nave.  The  propor- 
tions are  simply  admirable.  From  the  lofty  traceried 
roof  down  to  the  elaborately  tiled  floor,  the  walls  are 
covered  with  richly  carved  panelled  work,  broken  here  and 
there  with  delicate  screens  of  stone.  The  eastern  end, 
hard  by  the  high  altar,  is  the  home  of  several  shrines. 
There  is  happily  no  lack  of  colour  in  this  part  of  our 
cathedral.  The  western  end  is  furnished  with  sixty  richly- 
carved  canopied  stalls  of  dark  oak,  mostly  the  handiwork 
of  the  Fourteenth  Century.  The  curiously  and  elaborately 
fretted  work  of  the  roof  we  have  already  spoken  of  as  a 


GLOUCESTER  161 

rich  mosaic  of  gold  and  colours.  The  floor,  if  one  dare 
breathe  a  criticism  in  this  charmed  building,  is  too  bright 
and  glistening,  but  it  is  in  its  way  varied  and  beautiful. 
The  carving  of  the  reredos,  a  work  of  our  own  day,  is, 
to  the  writer's  mind,  open  to  criticism,  but  is  still  very 
fair,  telling  in  every  detail  of  loving  work  and  true 
reverence." — (S.) 

The  High  Altar  occupies  the  same  site  as  the 
ancient  one.  The  sixty  Choir-stalls  have  been  re- 
stored in  part;  the  sub-stalls  date  from  Sir  Gilbert 
Scott's  restoration  (1873).  On  the  south  side  of 
the  High  Altar  there  are  four  Sedilia  also  restored. 
Redfern's  figures  in  the  niches  are  Abbot  Edric, 
Bishop  Wulstan,  and  Abbots  Aldred,  Serlo,  Foliot, 
Thokey,  Wygmore,  Horton,  Froucester,  Morwent, 
Seabroke  and  Hanley.  The  three  angels  over  the 
canopies,  playing  on  a  tambour  and  trumpets,  de- 
serve notice. 

On  the  north  side  of  the  Presbytery  we  pause 
to  look  at  the  chantry  Tomb  of  Abbot  Parker, 
where  the  carving  of  vine  and  grapes  on  the  stone 
screen  is  fine.  The  curious  cross  in  the  form  of 
a  growing  tree  at  the  foot,  of  the  tomb  is  also 
striking.  Parker,  who  died  in  1539,  was  buried 
elsewhere.  Then  we  pass  to  the  more  famous  Tomb 
of  Edward  II.,  erected  by  Edward  III.  The  ala- 
baster figure  is  probably  the  earliest  of  its  kind  in 
England.  The  tomb  was  opened  in  1855  to  satisfy 
curiosity  as  to  whether  the  king  was  really  buried 
there  after  his  murder  in  Berkeley  Castle  nearby. 

"  Though  it  awakens  our  recollection  of  a  feeble-minded 
king,  and  his  barbarously  brutal  murder,  it  also  compels 
our  admiration  at  the  beauty  of  the  work.  It  has  been 
restored,  renovated  or  re-edified,  but  in  spite  of  that, 
appeals  to  us  from  the  wealth  of  very  highly  ornate 
tabernacle  work,  the  richness,  and  at  the  same  time  the 


162  GLOUCESTER 

lightness  and  elegance  of  the  whole.  The  details  too  are 
well  worth  careful  examination.  It  may  be,  judging  from 
the  expression  of  the  face,  that  there  has  been  some 
attempt  at  portraiture,  but  repair  and  restoration  have 
practically  made  it  impossible  to  settle  what  would  other- 
wise be  an  interesting  question.  The  superb  canopy  has 
suffered  much  at  the  hands  of  restorers — e.g.  in  1737, 
1789,  1798  and  in  1876."— (H.  J.  L.  J.  M.) 


The  next  monument  is  to  King  Osric,  erected 
in  "  late  dayes,"  i.e.  in  the  time  of  Abbot  Parker, 
whose  arms  are  in  the  spandrels  of  the  canopy 
(1514-1539). 

The  Norman  piers,  cut  away  to  receive  the  tomb, 
are  decorated  on  their  capitals  with  the  white  hart 
chained  and  gorged,  with  a  ducal  coronet,  the  de- 
vice of  Richard  II.  Osric  is  represented  as  clad 
in  tunic,  laced  mantle  and  a  fur  hood  or  collar, 
bearing  the  model  of  a  church  in  his  left  hand. 

The  next  tomb  westwards  is,  as  Leland  says,  that 
of  "  King  Edward  of  Caernarvon  (who)  lyeth  un- 
der a  fayre  tombe,  in  an  arch  at  the  head  of  King 
Osric  tombe." 

The  transepts  and  ambulatory  of  the  choir  are 
usually  entered  through  the  iron  gateway  in  the 
south  aisle  of  the  nave. 

These  Ambulatories,  or  aisles,  have  nothing 
uncommon  in  their  form  or  arrangement  below, 
but  above  occurs  the  great  peculiarity  of  this 
church.  The  upper  range  of  chapels  surrounding 
the  Choir  is  perhaps  not  to  be  met  with  in  any  other 
church  in  Europe. 

Another  peculiarity  of  the  Choir  is  its  six-light 
west  window.  This  was  rendered  necessary  by  the 
difference  in  height  of  the  Nave  and  Choir ;  for  the 
vaulting  of  the  choir  is  about  twenty  feet  higher 


GLOUCESTER  163 

than  that  of  the  Nave.  The  glass  consists  chiefly 
of  patchwork  from  other  windows  in  the  Cathedral. 
It  represents  a  figure  of  our  Lord,  with  angels  on 
either  side.  Below  angels  play  musical  instruments. 
The  Triforium  of  the  Choir  is  considered  by 
some  critics  the  finest  in  existence. 

"  It  occupies  the  space  over  the  ground  floors  of  the 
aisles  or  ambulatory  of  the  choir,  and  originally  extended 
of  a  like  width  round  the  east  end  of  the  Norman  Church, 
but  at  the  time  when  the  Fourteenth-Century  work  of  the 
present  choir  was  executed,  the  whole  of  the  east  end  of 
the  old  Norman  choir,  with  the  corresponding  part  of  the 
triforium,  was  removed  in  order  to  make  room  for  the 
existing  large  window,  the  small  east  chapel  being  allowed 
to  remain." — (F.  S.  W.) 

The  Triforium  is  reached  by  the  staircases  in  the 
western  turrets  of  the  two  transepts  and  by  arcaded 
passages  passing  under  the  great  windows  of  the 
transepts. 

"  The  first  chapel  in  the  triforium  contains  two  brackets 
with  rich  canopies,  and  there  is  a  very  well  preserved 
double  piscina.  Ball-flowers  in  two  rows  will  be  found 
in  the  mouldings  of  the  east  window.  Remains  of  two 
canopies  in  the  jambs  of  the  windows  are  also  to  be 
traced. 

"  The  massive  Norman  piers  should  be  carefully  studied, 
as  the  way  in  which  the  later  casing  work  has  been  ap- 
plied can  be  more  easily  seen  in  the  triforium  than  else- 
where. 

"  The  picture  on  the  west  side  of  this  part  of  the 
triforium  was  discovered  in  1718,  against  the  then  eastern 
end  of  the  nave,  underneath  the  panelled  wainscot  at  the 
back  of  the  seats  occupied  by  the  clergy  when  the  nave 
was  used  for  service." — (H.  J.  L.  J.  M.) 

This  painting  of  The  Last  Judgment  is  supposed 
to  date  from  the  reign  of  Henry  VJIL,  or  Edward 


164  GLOUCESTER 

VI.  It  was  suggested  by  the  great  altar-piece  at 
Dantzig  (1467). 

As  an  entrance  to  the  east  chapel  of  the  tri- 
forium,  the  narrow  gallery,  called  the  Whispering 
Gallery,  was  made.  It  is  a  passage  of  Norman 
work,  very  much  altered  and  re-used.  It  is  74 
feet  long,  3  feet  wide,  6^4  feet  high,  and  is  carried 
on  segmental  arches  from  the  east  end  of  the  south 
triforium  to  the  west  wall  of  the  Lady  Chapel,  and 
thence  in  the  same  way  to  the  north  triforium. 

On  the  way  towards  the  Whispering  Gallery,  the 
flying-buttresses  inserted  in  1347-1350  to  support 
the  walls  of  the  clerestory,  which  were  weakened 
by  the  insertion  of  the  great  east  window  of  the 
Choir,  should  be  noticed. 

Visitors  are  always  interested  in  the  Whispering 
Gallery,  where  the  lightest  whisper  can  be  easily 
and  distinctly  heard  at  the  other  end  of  the  gallery. 
It  inspired  the  following  lines,  by  Maurice  Wheeler 
(head-master  of  the  King's  School,  1684-1712)  : 

"Doubt  not  but  God,  who  sits  on  high, 

Thy  secret  prayers  can  hear, 
When  a  dead  wall  thus  cunningly 
Conveys  soft  whispers  to  the  ear." 

The  East  Window  is  larger  than  the  East  Win- 
dow of  York  Minster.  It  measures  78x38  feet; 
that  at  York  is  78  x  33. 

Though  it  has  suffered  much  mutilation,  restorers 
have  done  little  harm,  and  it  is  possible  to  get  some 
idea  of  its  original  splendour. 

"  It  is  worthy  of  remark  that  the  tracery,  heads  and 
cusps,  as  seen  from  the  inside  of  this  window,  are  not 
repeated  on  the  outside,  a  plain  transom  only  crossing 
the  lights.  This  peculiarity  is  repeated  in  the  great  west 


GLOUCESTER:  CHOIR,  EAST 


GLOUCESTER  :    CLOISTERS 


GLOUCESTER  165 

window  and  in  many  other  windows  in  the  cathedral."— 
(F.  S.  W.) 

The  stone- work  of  the  window  was  restored  in 
1862  and  the  glass  cleaned  and  re-leaded.  The  win- 
dow consists  of  fourteen  lights — six  on  the  centre 
with  four  on  either  side.  The  subjects  are  the 
Coronation  of  the  Virgin  Mary  with  Christ  and  the 
Apostles,  saints  and  kings.  The  heraldic  shields 
fix  the  date  of  the  glass  between  1347  and  1350. 
The  canopies  and  nearly  all  the  figures  are  of  white 
glass  enriched  with  yellow.  The  tones  of  red  and 
blue  are  particularly  rich.  The  drawing  of  the  fig- 
ures has  been  much  criticised. 

"  The  whole  of  this,  the  loveliest  choir  in  England,  is 
lit  by  a  mighty  wall  of  jewelled  glass  behind  the  great 
golden  reredos. 

"  This  vast  east  window  which  floods  the  choir  of 
Gloucester,  beautiful  as  a  dream  with  its  soft,  silvery  light 
faintly  coloured  with  jewelled  shafts  of  the  richest  blue 
and  red,  and  here  and  there  a  vein  of  pale  gold — this 
vast  window  could  not  have  been  seen  out  of  England, 
or,  at  least,  one  of  the  grey  and  misty  northern  countries, 
where  gleams  of  light  or  shafts  of  sunshine  are  exceed- 
ingly precious.  In  south  or  central  Europe  the  effect  of 
such  a  mighty  window  would  be  simply  dazzling  to  the 
eye,  would  be  painful  from  its  excess  of  light. 

"  This  great  east  window,  is  the  largest  painted  window  in 
England — the  largest,  the  writer  believes,  in  Europe.  Its 
stonework  exceeds  in  size  the  magnificent  east  window  of 
•York,  which  stands  next  to  it.  The  respective  measure- 
ments are  Gloucester,  seventy-two  feet  high  by  thirty-eight 
wide;  York,  seventy-eight  by  thirty-three  feet.  The  lower 
parts  of  the  centre  compartments  at  Gloucester  are  not 
completely  glazed,  owing  to  the  opening  into  the  Lady- 
chapel.  The  glass  of  Gloucester  is,  on  the  whole,  light- 
coloured,  the  designers  being  evidently  anxious  that  the 
beautiful  stone  panels  and  screen-work  should  be  seen  in 
all  their  exquisite  details.  The  glass  has  suffered  mar- 


i66  GLOUCESTER 

vellously  little  from  the  ravages  of  weather  and  the  fanati- 
cism of  revolutionary  times;  the  busy  restorer,  too,  has 
dealt  gently  with  it.  There  are  forty-nine  figures,  and  of 
these  thirty-seven  are  pronounced  by  our  lynx-eyed  experts 
to  be  absolutely  genuine.  Of  the  eighteen  armorial  shields 
in  the  lower  lights  thirteen  are  certainly  the  identical 
shields  inserted  by  the  survivors  of  Cressy.  The  whole  of 
the  gorgeous  canopy- work  has  been  untouched.  The  subject 
of  the  paintings  is  the  Coronation  of  the  Virgin  and  the 
figures  consist  of  winged  angels,  apostles,  saints,  kings  and 
abbots.  The  coats-of-arms  are  those  borne  by  King  Ed- 
ward III.,  the  Black  Prince,  and  their  knightly  companions, 
such  as  the  Lords  of  Berkeley,  Arundel,  Pembroke,  War- 
wick, Northampton,  Talbot  and  others  who  took  part  in 
the  famous  campaign  in  which  occurred  the  battle  of 
Cressy,  and  who  in  some  degree  were  connected  with 
Gloucestershire.  The  window  was,  in  fact,  a  memorial 
of  the  great  English  victory,  and  may  fairly  be  termed  the 
Cressy  window." — (S.) 

The  Vestibule  to'  the  Lady-Chapel  is  a  beautiful 
work.  The  lower  portions  of  the  west  wall,  parts 
of  the  old  Norman  apsidal  chapel,  are  pierced  by 
the  opening  for  the  door  and  by  two  perpendicular 
windows. 

The  lierne  vaulting  is  very  delicate  (the  ribs  are 
run  differently  in  the  four  quarters  of  the  roof), 
and  the  pendants  form  a  cross.  Over  the  vestibule 
is  the  small  chapel  which  is  entered  from  the  Whis- 
pering Gallery. 

The  beautiful  Lady-Chapel  was  built  between 
1457  and  1499  on  the  site  of  a  smaller  one. 

The  Lady-Chapel,  91  feet  6  inches  long,  25  feet  6 
inches  high,  and  46  feet  6  inches  high,  consists  of 
four  bays,  which,  as  the  wall  of  the  chapel  is  so 
low,  are  chiefly  composed  of  fine  tracery  and  glass. 

"  All  the  wall  below  the  windows  is  arcaded  with  foiled 
arches,  with  quatrefoils  above  them.  The  wall  between 


GLOUCESTER  167 

the  windows  is  panelled  with  delicate  tracery  like  that  in 
the  windows,  and  in  its  three  chief  tiers  contains  brackets 
for  figures,  with  richly  carved  canopies  overhead.  Many  of 
these  canopies  (like  the  walls)  show  traces  of  colour. 

"  Vaulting  shafts  of  great  beauty  support  one  of  the- 
grandest  Perpendicular  roofs  that  has  ever  been  made. 
Each  boss  in  the  roof  is  worth  minute  inspection,  and  since 
the  restoration  (1896)  it  is  possible  to  see  the  bosses  in 
practically  the  same  condition  as  they  were  when  they  left 
the  masons'  hands  in  the  Fifteenth  Century.  With  three 
exceptions  they  are  all  representations  of  foliage. 

"  It  has  been  said  above  that  the  chapel  is  cruciform. 
The  arms  of  the  cross  are  represented  by  the  two  side 
chapels,  like  diminutive  transepts  on  the  north  and  south 
sides,  with  oratories  above  them,  to  which  access  is  given 
by  small  staircases  in  the  angles  of  the  wall.  Both  these 
side  chapels  contain  some  exquisite  fan-tracery  vaulting, 
which  is  supported  upon  flying  arches,  fashioned  in  imita- 
tion of  the  graceful  flying  arches  in  the  choir. 

"  On  the  north  side  the  chapel  contains  a  full-length 
effigy  of  Bishop  Goldsborough  (who  died  in  1604)  robed 
in  his  white  rochet,  black  chimere,  with  lawn  sleeves, 
scarf,  ruff  and  skull-cap. 

"  The  east  window  in  this  chapel  is  in  memory  of 
Lieut.  Arthur  John  Lawford  (1885),  and  is  dedicated  to 
St.  Martin. 

"  The  chapel  above  has  a  vaulted  roof  with  bosses  of 
foliage,  and  there  are  small  portions  of  ancient  glass. 

"  The  Lady-chapel  is  one  of  the  largest  in  the  kingdom, 
and  is  said,  at  the  time  of  the  Dissolution,  to  have  been 
one  of  the  richest.  A  great  part  of  it  is  said  to  have  been 
gilded  and  gloriously  ornamented.  Traces  of  the  colour 
can  be  seen  in  the  mouldings  of  the  panellings  and  in 
the  carving  upon  the  walls." — (H.  J.  L.  J.  M.) 

The  Reredos  still  retains  traces  of  its  gorgeous 
colours.  It  is  very  richly  ornamented. 

The  East  Window,  consisting  of  nine  lights, 
dates  from  1472-1479.  The  monuments  are  not 
especially  remarkable.  The  tiles  of  the  floor  and 
the  sedilia  are  notable. 


i68  GLOUCESTER 

On  our  right,  as  we  leave  the  Lady  Chapel,  we 
come  to  Abbot  Boteler's  Chapel  (1437-1450).  It 
contains  a  fine  ancient  reredos,  interesting  tiles 
and  a  curious  wooden  effigy  of  Robert,  Duke  of 
Normandy,  son  of  William  the  Conqueror.  Critics 
think  it  nearly  contemporary  with  the  Duke  him- 
self. The  figure  rests  on  a  Fifteenth  Century  chest. 

Next  we  come  to  St.  Paul's  Chapel  (north-west) 
entered  by  a  doorway.  The  reredos  here  is  very 
fine.  It  was  repaired  in  1870.  St.  Peter,  St.  Paul 
and  St.  Luke,  by  Redfern,  ornament  the  niches. 

An  ancient  stone  reading-desk,  from  which  pil- 
grims to  the  shrine  of  Edward  II.  were  addressed, 
attracts  our  attention  near  the  door  leading  into 
the  North  Transept.  This  is  originally  Norman, 
cased  over  with  Perpendicular  panelling,  more  de- 
veloped, however,  than  that  in  the  south  transept. 
The  work  here  was  done  in  1368-1373.  Angular 
mouldings  are  used  in  the  place  of  round  mouldings 
and  the  mullions  run  right  up  to  the  roof,  which 
is  much  richer  than  that  in  the  south  transept.  The 
vaulting  of  the  north  transept  somewhat  resembles 
the  fan-tracery  of  the  cloisters.  This  transept  is 
8  feet  lower  than  that  on  the  south  side  and  it  is 
2  feet  shorter. 

Beneath  the  north  window  is  a  greatly  admired 
piece  of  Early  English  (1240),  supposed  to  have 
been  a  Reliquary.  The  middle  of  the  three  divi- 
sions is  a  doorway.  Beautifully  carved  foliage  and 
Purbeck  marble  shafts  are  the  chief  ornamenta- 
tion. 

Opposite,  between  the  tower-piers,  is  a  small 
chapel,  said  to  have  been  dedicated  to  St.  Anthony. 
It  is  used  as  the  Dean's  vestry. 

The  South  Transept  (St.  Andrew's  Aisle)  was 


GLOUCESTER  169 

transformed  from  the  Norman  in  1329-1337.  The 
vaulting  is  lierne  with  short  ribs.  The  walls  are 
panelled. 

On  the  north  side  of  the  south  transept,  we  find 
the  Seabroke  Chapel. 

"The  alabaster  effigy  represents  the  Abbot  in  his  alb, 
stole,  tunic,  dalmatic,  chasuble,  amice  and  mitre,  with  his 
pastoral  staff  on  his  right  side.  The  chapel  has  been 
partially  restored.  Traces  of  colour  are  to  be  seen  in  the 
reredos  and  the  roof  over  it. 

"Almost  opposite  to  this,  but  nearer  to  the  iron  gate, 
is  a  recessed  tomb  to  a  knight  in  mixed  armour  of  mail 
and  plate,  and  by  his  side  his  lady,  with  kirtle,  mantle 
and  flowing  hair.  Both  wear  SS.  collars,  and  this  helps 
to  give  the  age  of  the  monument,  by  narrowing  the  date 
down  to  a  year  not  earlier  than  1399." — (H.  J.  L.  J.  M.) 

On  the  east  side  the  Chapel  of  St.  Andrew  oc- 
cupies a  corresponding  position  to  that  of  St.  Paul 
in  the  north  transept.  This  chapel  has  been  re- 
stored. Some  of  the  best  glass  in  the  Cathedral  is 
contained  in  the  east  window  over  St.  Andrew's 
Chapel.  It  dates  from  about  1330  and  consists  of 
the  head  of  a  white  scroll-work  of  vine  leaves,  etc., 
on  a  fine  ruby-coloured  ground,  and  below  plain 
quarries  with  very  simple  borders. 

Opposite  Boteler's  Chapel  we  find  St.  Philip's 
Chapel  (south-east),  restored  in  1864.  There  is 
some  dog-tooth  moulding  near  the  piscina.  A  fine 
Perpendicular  arch,  supporting  the  triforium  above, 
attracts  attention  before  the  Lady-Chapel  is  en- 
tered. 

The  Crypt  is  entered  from  the  eastern  door  in 
the  south  transept.  It  is  one  of  the  five  great  east- 
ern crypts  erected  before  1085  *  and  consists  of  an 

*  Canterbury,  Rochester,  Winchester,  Worcester,  Glouces- 
ter. 


170  GLOUCESTER 

apse,  three  small  apsidal  chapels  and  two  chapels 
underneath  the  eastern  chapels  of  the  north  and 
south  transepts. 

"  Great  alterations  have  from  time  to  time  been  made 
in  the  crypt.  The  large  semicircular  columns  against  the 
walls,  though  of  great  antiquity,  are  not  parts  of  the 
original  structure,  but  are  casings  built  round,  and  en- 
closing the  former  smaller  piers,  and  the  ribs  springing 
from  their  capitals  are  built  under,  with  a  view  to  sup- 
port the  vaulting." — (F.  S.  W.) 

Through  a  door  in  the  organ  screen  in  the  north 
aisle  of  the  nave  we  enter  the  Cloisters,  which  are 
among  the  most  perfect  and  beautiful  in  England. 
They  form  a  quadrangle  and  each  walk  is  divided 
into  ten  compartments.  Fan-tracery  is  thought  to 
have  originated  here  in  the  vaulting.  They  were 
begun  by  Abbot  Horton  (1351-1377)  and  com- 
pleted by  Abbot  Froucester  (1381-1412). 

"  The  view  looking  down  either  of  the  walks  is  very 
fine,  mainly  owing  to  the  richness  of  the  groined  roof, 
which  is  the  earliest  example  of  the  fan-vault.  This  style 
of  vaulting  is  entirely  peculiar  to  England;  and  Professor 
Willis  has  suggested  that  the  school  of  masons  who  were 
employed  in  this  cathedral  may  have  originated  it.  The 
wall  sides  of  the  cloisters  are  panelled;  and  the  windows, 
divided  by  a  transom,  have  rich  Perpendicular  tracery. 
The  lights  above  the  transom  were  glazed.  Each  walk  is 
divided  into  ten  compartments.  In  the  south  walk  are 
the  Carrels — places  for  writing  or  study,  twenty  in  num- 
ber, formed  by  a  series  of  arches,  running  below  the  main 
windows.  In  each  carrel  is  a  small  and  graceful  window 
of  two  lights.*  The  very  fine  view  at  the  angle  of  the 
south  and  west  walks  should  especially  be  noticed.  In 
the  north  walk  are  the  lavatories,  projecting  into  the 
cloister  garth ;  these  are  very  perfect.  Under  the  win- 

*  Similar  stalls,  or  carrels,   existed  at  Durham. 


GLOUCESTER  171 

dows  is  a  long  trough  or  basin  into  which  the  water 
flowed.  The  roof  is  groined.  Opposite  in  the  wall  of  the 
cloister,  is  the  recess  for  towels,  or  manutergia.  The 
windows  of  the  east  walk  are  filled  with  memorial  glass  by 
Hardman  (the  eighth  is  by  Ballantyne,  as  is  one  window 
in  the  west  walk)/'— (R.  J.  K.) 

A  small  cloister,  or  slype;  opens  from  the  east 
walk  between  the  cathedral  and  the  chapter-house. 
This  is  also  called  the  Abbot's  Cloister.  This  is 
Norman  in  its  western  portion  and  Perpendicular 
beyond.*  Above  this  is  situated  the  Chapter  Li- 
brary, a  long,  dark  Perpendicular  room  with  a  roof 
of  dark  oak,  a  large  Perpendicular  window  east 
and  a  row  of  small  windows  on  the  north  side. 

Though  the  cloisters  are  quadrangular,  the  length 
of  the  four  walks  is  not  quite  the  same.  The  width 
(\2,y2  feet)  and  height  (i8y2  feet)  are  alike. 

In  the  North  Alley,  the  Monks'  Lavatory  is 

"one  of  the  most  perfect  of  its  date.  It  projects  8  feet 
into  the  garth,  and  is  entered  from  the  cloister  alley  by 
eight  tall  arches  with  glazed  traceried  openings  above. 
Internally  it  is  47  feet  long  and  6l/2  feet  wide,  and  is 
lighted  by  eight  two-light  windows  towards  the  garth 
and  by  a  similar  window  at  each  end.  One  light  of  the 
east  window  has  a  small  square  opening  below,  perhaps 
for  the  admission  of  the  supply  pipes,  for  which  there 
seems  to  be  no  other  entrance  either  in  the  fan  vault  or 
the  side  walls.  Half  the  width  of  the  lavatory  is 
taken  up  by  a  broad,  flat  ledge  or  platform  against  the 
wall,  on  which  stood  a  lead  cistern  or  laver,  with  a  row 
of  taps,  and  in  front  a  hollow  trough,  originally  lined  with 
lead,  at  which  the  monks  washed  their  hands  and  faces. 
From  this  the  waste  water  ran  away  into  a  recently  dis- 
covered (1889)  tank  in  the  garth." — (H.) 

*  The  cloister,  of  which  the  inner  walls  only  remain, 
itself  extended  beyond  this  passage  eastward. 


1/2  GLOUCESTER 

From  the  West  Alley  the  monks  entered  their 
great  dining-hall ;  and  at  the  south-west  corner  a 
vaulted  passage  called  the  Slype  lies  under  part  of 
the  old  lodging  of  the  Abbots,  now  the  Deanery. 
In  this  passage,  a  sort  of  outer  parlour,  the  monks 
held  conversation  with  strangers.  In  the  South 
Alley  the  monks  studied  after  dinner  until  even- 
song. It  has  ten  windows  of  six  lights  and  twenty 
recesses,  or  "  carrels,"  below  the  transoms. 

The  roof  of  the  East  Alley  is  a  perfectly  plain 
barrel  vault  without  ribs.  In  the  south-west  corner 
we  find  a  hollowed  bracket,  or  cresset  stone,  in 
which  a  wick,  floating  in  tallow,  was  kept  to  light 
the  passage. 

Opposite  the  fifth  bay  a  doorway,  containing 
some  good  Norman  work,  slightly  restored,  leads 
into  the  Chapter-House. 

Originally  consisting  of  three  Norman  bays,  it 
probably,  like  the  chapter-houses  at  Norwich,  Read- 
ing, and  Durham,  terminated  in  a  semi-circular 
apse.  The  present  east  end  is  Late  Perpendicular, 
and  makes  a  fourth  bay.  The  vaulting  of  the  later 
part  is  well  groined,  and  the  window  is  good.  The 
roof  of  the  three  Norman  bays  is  a  lofty  barrel 
vault  supported  by  three  slightly  pointed  arches 
springing  from  the  capitals  of  the  columns,  which 
are  curiously  set  back,  and  separate  the  bays. 

Norman  arcading  of  twelve  arches — i.e.  four  to 
each  bay — runs  along  the  three  westernmost  bays 
on  the  north  and  south  walls. 

"The  west  end  is  arranged  in  the  usual  Benedictine 
fashion,  with  a  central  door,  flanked  originally  by  two 
large  unglazed  window  openings,  with  three  large  win- 
dows above.  Only  one  of  the  windows  flanking  the  door- 
way can  now  be  seen,  the  other  having  been  partly  de- 


GLOUCESTER  173 

stroyed  and  covered  by  Perpendicular  panelling  when  the 
new  library  stair  was  built  in  the  south-west  corner  of  the 
room." — (H.) 

Of  the  four  old  gateways  remaining  the  finest  is 
St.  Mary's  Gate,  a  typical  specimen  of  Early  Eng- 
lish work.  It  leads  into  St.  Mary's  Square.  In  the 
northwest  corner  of  the  Precincts  the  famous  vine- 
yard was  situated. 


HEREFORD 

DEDICATION:   ST.  MARY  AND  ST.  ETHELBERT.     A  CHURCH 

SERVED   BY   SECULAR   CANONS. 
SPECIAL  FEATURES  :  NORTH  TRANSEPT  AND  EAST  END. 

HEREFORD  is  situated  in  the  fertile  and  cultivated 
valley  of  the  Wye. 

"  Almost  in  the  midst  of  the  city  the  sturdy  mass  of  the 
cathedral  building  reposes  in  a  secluded  close,  from  which 
the  best  general  view  is  obtained.  The  close  is  entered 
either  from  Broad  Street,  near  the  west  window,  or  from 
Castle  Street;  the  whole  of  the  building  lying  on  the 
south  side  of  the  close  between  the  path  and  the  river. 
The  space  between  the  Wye  and  the  Cathedral  is  filled  by 
the  Bishop's  Palace  and  the  college  of  the  Vicars'  Choral. 
On  the  east  are  the  foundations  of  the  castle,  which  was 
formerly  one  of  the  strongest  on  the  Welsh  marshes." — 
(A.  H.  F.) 

A  stone  church  was  begun  here  about  830  in 
honour  of  St.  Ethelbert,  the  East  Anglian  king, 
murdered  by  Offa  near  Hereford  in  792.  At  his 
shrine  miracles  were  wrought.  This  church  was 
rebuilt  in  Edward  the  Confessor's  reign ;  but  was 
plundered  and  burnt  by  the  Welsh  and  Irish.  The 
present  building  was  begun  by  Robert  de  Losinga 
about  1079  and  finished  by  the  middle  of  the 
Twelfth  Century.  The  most  remarkable  part  of 
the  building  is  the  north  transept.  This  is  sup- 
posed to  have  been  built  by  Bishop  Aquablanca 
(see  page  177),  who  was  succeeded  by  Thomas  de 
Cantilupe,  the  great  saint  of  the  Cathedral  (see 
page  178). 

174 


HEREFORD  175 

Hereford  has  suffered  greatly  from  calamities 
and  restorations.  In  1786  the  western  tower  and 
west  front  fell.  They  were  reconstructed  by  Wy- 
att.  He  also  shortened  the  nave  by  one  bay  and 
destroyed  the  Norman  triforium.  Repairs  and 
restorations  were  undertaken  in  1841,  1852  and 
1858. 

The  most  striking  feature  of  the  exterior  is  the 
central  Tower — of  two  stories  above  the  roof  with 
buttresses  and  exhibiting  the  ball-flower  in  great 
profusion.  The  four  pinnacles  at  the  corners  were 
added  in  1830.  The  Lady-Chapel  with  its  tall 
lancet-shaped  windows  and  bold  buttresses  is  also 
interesting.  On  the  south  side  the  Audley  Chantry 
projects  with  great  effect;  and  from  the  west  we 
gain  a  good  view  of  the  Bishop's  Cloisters,  with 
the  square  turreted  tower  called  the  Lady  Arbour, 
though  nobody  knows  why.  Only  the  east  and  the 
south  walks  now  remain.  They  are  Perpendicular 
with  fine  window  openings  and  richly  carved  roof. 

We  enter  the  Cathedral  by  the  North  porch, 
completed  in  1530.  It  is  of  two  stages,  and  projects 
beyond  an  inner  porch  of  the  Decorated  period. 
The  doorway  opening  into  the  church  is  also 
Decorated. 

On  entering  the  Nave,  we  pass  to  the  west  end 
to  get  the  best  general  view. 

"  The  nave,  which  is  separated  from  the  aisles  by  eight 
massive  Norman  piers  (part  of  the  original  church),  of 
which  the  capitals  are  worthy,  of  notice,  has  somewhat 
suffered  by  restorations  at  the  hands  of  Wyatt.  The 
triforium,  the  clerestory,  the  vaulting  of  the  roof  and 
the  western  wall  and  doorway  are  all  his  work;  and  it 
must  not  be  forgotten  that  he  shortened  the  original  nave 
by  one  entire  bay.  Walking  to  the  west  end,  from  which 


176  HEREFORD 

the  best  general  view  is  to  be  obtained,  one  is  impressed 
by  the  striking  effect  of  the  great  Norman  piers  and 
arches  and  the  gloom  of  the  choir  beyond.  Through  the 
noble  circular  arches,  which  support  the  central  tower  and 
the  modern  screen  on  the  eastern  side  of  it,  we  see  the 
eastern  wall  of  the  choir,  pierced  above  by  three  lancet 
windows  and  below  by  a  wide  circular  arch  receding  in 
many  orders.  A  central  pillar  divides  this  lower  arch, 
two  pointed  arches  springing  from  its  capital,  and  leaving 
a  spandrel  between  them,  which  is  covered  with  modern 
sculpture.  In  the  far  distance  may  be  distinguished  the 
east  wall  of  the  Lady-chapel  and  its  brilliant  lancet  lights. 
Throughout  the  Cathedral  the  Norman  work  is  remark- 
able for  the  richness  of  its  ornament  as  compared  with 
other  buildings  of  the  same  date,  such  as  Peterborough  or 
Ely. 

"The  main  arches  of  the  nave  are  ornamented  with  the 
billet  and  other  beautiful  mouldings  and  the  capitals  of 
both  piers  and  shafts  are  also  elaborately  decorated.  The 
double  half  shafts  set  against  the  north  and  south  fronts 
of  the  huge  circular  piers  are  in  the  greater  part  restora- 
tions. 

"  Over  each  pier-arch  there  are  two  triforium  arches 
imitated  from  the  Early  English  of  Salisbury.  They  are 
divided  by  slender  pillars,  but  there  is  no  triforium  pas- 
sage. During  the  Late  Decorated  period  the  nave-aisles 
were  practically  rebuilt,  the  existing  walls  and  windows 
being  erected  upon  the  bases  of  the  Norman  walls,  which 
were  retained  for  a  few  feet  above  the  foundations.  The 
vaulting  of  the  roofs  of  the  nave-aisles  and  the  roof  of  the 
nave  itself  were  coloured  under  the  direction  of  Mr.  Cot- 
tingham."—  (A.  H.  F.) 

In  the  second  bay  of  the  south  aisle  stands  an 
ancient  Font  of  late  Norman  design,  decorated 
with  figures  of  the  Apostles,  on  a  base  with  four 
demi-griffins  or  lions.  .  Among  the  monuments  in 
the  nave  is  an  alabaster  Effigy  of  Sir  Richard  Pern- 
bridge,  in  plate  and  mail  armour  with  his  grey- 
hound. He  died  in  1375.  Here  are  also  the  effigy 
and  tomb  of  Bishop  Booth  (died  1535),  who  built 


HEREFORD:   NAVE,  EAST 


W 

i 


HEREFORD  177 

the  north  porch.  The  handsome  iron  grille  in 
front  of  the  tomb  is  of  the  same  date. 

The  Central  Tower  rests  on  massive  piers  with 
Norman  arches.  The  entire  space  is  open  from  the 
floor  of  the  Cathedral  to  the  wooden  floor  of  the 
bell-chamber,  painted  beneath  in  blue  and  gold. 
From  this  floor  hangs  a  corona  of  wrought  iron, 
coloured  like  the  screen.  The  tower  contains  a 
fine  peal  of  ten  bells. 

Through  the  north  arch  of  the  tower  we  pass 
into  the  North  Transept,  said  to  be  the  work  of 
Peter  of  Savoy,  who  became  Bishop  of  Hereford. 
He  was  called  Bishop  Aquablanca  from  his  birth- 
place near  Chambery.  He  died  in  1268  intensely 
hated.  The  original  Norman  north  transept  was 
pulled  down  about  1260  for  this  new  one,  rebuilt 

"on  a  design  which  is  perhaps  the  most  original,  as  it 
certainly  is  one  of  the  most  beautiful  in  the  history  of 
English  Gothic  architecture.  To  the  north  and  west  were 
built  enormous  windows,  with  tracery  of  cusped  circles, 
quite  exceptional  in  their  elongation,  more  like  late  Ger- 
man than  English  work.  On  the  east  side  was  built  an 
aisle  of  exquisite  beauty.  Its  arches,  almost  straight-sided 
— its  triforium  windows,  a  ring  of  cusped  circles  set  under 
a  semicircular  arch— its  clerestory  windows,  spherical  tri- 
angles, enclosing  a  cusped  circular  window — the  com- 
position of  the  triforium — the  north  and  west  windows — 
are  quite  unique,  except  so  far  as  they  were  copied  in 
later  work  in  the  city  and  neighbourhood.  At  the  south 
end  of  the  aisle  is  the  exquisite  TOMB  of  Bishop  Peter 
Aquablanca  (died  1268)  ;  no  doubt  built  in  his  lifetime. 
The  tomb  is  as  unique  as  the  transept,  and  chiefly  resem- 
bles it  in  design.  The  inference  is  that  Bishop  Aquablanca 
built  the  transept.  The  credit  of  it,  however,  is  con- 
stantly given  to  his  successors,  apparently  on  account  of 
his  private  vices.  But  saints  as  well  as  sinners  have  liked 
to  leave  memorials  behind  them  in  stone;  and,  moreover, 
Aquablanca  had  his  good  points.  To  this  day  four  thou- 


178  HEREFORD 

sand  loaves  are  distributed  every  year  out  of  funds  which 
he  bequeathed.  It  is  recorded,  too,  that  of  a  fine  which 
was  imposed  on  the  citizens  for  encroachments  on  his 
episcopal  rights,  he  remitted  one  half  and  handed  over 
the  other  for  works  on  the  cathedral." — (F.  B.) 

Aquablanca  was  succeeded  by  Thomas  Cantilupe, 
as  much  loved  as  the  former  was  hated.  Dying 
on  a  homeward  journey  from  Rome,  in  1282,  his 
bones  were  removed  from  the  flesh  by  boiling  and 
carried  to  Hereford  to  be  placed  in  the  Lady-Chapel. 
Forty  years  later  he  was  canonized.  Many  miracles 
were  effected  at  his  shrine,  removed  to  the  transept 
in  1287.  King  Edward  I.  sent  sick  falcons  to  be 
cured  and  people  thronged  with  large  offerings. 
We  shall  soon  see  all  that  is  left  of  the  Cantilupe 
Shrine. 

"The  Norman  arches  opening  to  the  aisles  of  the  nave 
and  choir  resemble  those  which  correspond  to  them  on  the 
south  side  of  the  church.  The  transept  beyond  them  was, 
as  we  have  seen,  entirely  rebuilt,  and  is  one  of  the  most 
remarkable  examples  of  the  period  remaining  in  England. 
The  unusual  form  of  its  arches,  and  its  pure,  lofty 
windows,  are  sufficiently  impressive  now;  but  their  effect 
must  have  been  wonderfully  increased  when  the  windows 
were  filled  with  glass  displaying  the  history  and  miracles 
of  the  sainted  Bishop,  and  when  the  shrine  itself  was 
standing  on  its  pedestal  within  the  eastern  aisle,  rich  with 
the  gold  and  jewels  offered  by  the  numerous  pilgrims  who 
knelt  daily  before  it. 

"The  west  side  of  the  transept  (which  is  of  two  bays 
beyond  the  aisle  passage)  is  entirely  filled  by  two  very 
lofty  windows  of  three  lights  each.  The  heads  of  the 
narrow  lights  are  sharply  pointed;  and  the  tracery  above 
is  formed  by  three  circles  enclosing  trefoils.  These  win- 
dows are  set  back  within  triangular-headed  arches.  On 
the  north  side  is  a  double  window  of  the  same  character 
divided  by  a  group  of  banded  shafts.  The  triple  lights 
on  either  side  of  these  shafts,  and  the  foiled  circles  above 


HEREFORD  179 

them,  precisely  resemble  the  windows  on  the  west  side 
of  the  transept. 

"  The  vaulting  springs  from  clustered  shafts,  the  cor- 
bels supporting  which,  on  the  east  side,  are  beautiful 
and  singular,  and  resemble  bunches  of  reeds,  terminating 
in  a  small  open  flower.  The  small  heads  below  these 
corbels,  at  the  intersection  of  the  main  arches,  should 
also  be  noticed. 

"  The  eastern  aisles,  lighted  by  three  very  beautiful 
windows,  each  of  three  lights,  with  three  quatrefoils  in  the 
tracery,  are  set  back  within  wider  arches,  as  is  the  case 
with  the  windows  in  the  main  transept.  In  this  aisle, 
in  a  line  with  the  central  pier,  is  the  pedestal  of  the 
Cantilupe  Shrine.  This  is  a  long  parallelogram,  nar- 
rowing toward  the  lower  end,  and  is  entirely  of  Purbeck 
marble.  It  has  two  divisions ;  the  lower  closed,  like  an 
altar-tomb,  the  upper  a  flat  canopy,  supported  on  small 
open  arches.  Upon  this  rested  the  actual  shrine,  con- 
taining the  relics  of  the  saint.  Cantilupe  was  Provincial 
Grand  Master  of  the  Knights  Templars  in  England;  and 
round  the  lower  division  of  the  pedestal  are  fifteen  figures 
of  Templars  in  various  attitudes,  placed  in  the  recesses  of 
a  foliated  arcade.  All  are  fully  armed,  in  chain-mail, 
with  surcoat,  shield  and  sword.  All  are  seated,  and  tread 
on  various  monsters,  among  which  are  dragons  and 
swine,  muzzled.  The  spandrels  in  this  arcade,  and  the 
spandrels  between  the  arches  in  the  upper  division,  are 
filled  with  leafage  of  the  first  Decorated  period,  retain- 
ing some  of  the  stiff  arrangement  of  the  Early  Eng- 
lish, but  directly  copied  from  nature.  In  the  lower 
spandrels  it  is  arranged  in  sprays;  in  the  upper  it 
is  often  laid  in  rows  of  leaves,  among  which  occur  oak, 
maple  and  trefoil.  The  whole  of  this  work  will  repay 
the  most  careful  examination.  (It  should  be  compared 
with  the  foliage  of  the  capitals  of  the  shafts  surround- 
ing the  central  pier  of  the  aisle,  which  is  far  more  stiff 
and  conventional).  On  the  top  of  the  lower  division  of 
the  pedestal  was  a  brass  of  the  Bishop,  of  which  the  matrix 
alone  remains. 

"  The  position  of  the  shrine  in  this  transept  may  be 
compared  with  that  of  St.  Frideswide  at  Oxford,  and 
with  that  of  St.  Richard  de  la  Wych  at  Chichester.  All 


180  HEREFORD 

had  an  altar  immediately  adjoining  the  shrine,  which 
was  dedicated  to  the  saint,  and  at  which  the  offerings  of 
pilgrims  were  made.  In  these  cases,  Jiowever,  the  usual 
position  of  a  great  shrine — at  the  back  of  the  high  altar — 
was,  for  some  special  reason,  departed  from.  At  Here- 
ford, this  position  of  highest  honour  was  probably  occu- 
pied by  the  shrine  of  St.  Ethelbert."—  (R.  J.  K.) 

Close  by  is  the  interesting  monument  of  Bishop 
d'Aquablanca,  just  by  the  north-choir-aisle.  This 
Early  English  monument  was  once  richly  coloured. 

The  effigy  of  this  foreign  priest — Peter  of  Savoy 
— lies  under  a  canopy  supported  by  delicate  shafts 
of  Purbeck  marble,  the  gables  surmounted  by  flori- 
ated crosses,  the  central  cross  bearing  a  figure  of 
the  Saviour.  The  richly  canopied  tomb  under  the 
great  north  window  bears  the  effigy  of  Bishop 
Thomas  Charlton,  treasurer  of  England  in  1329 
(died  1369). 

Under  the  north-west-window  is  the  canopied 
tomb  of  Bishop  Swinfield  (1283-1317).  His  ef- 
figy disappeared  long  ago,  and  some  unknown 
figure  lies  there.  The  ball-flower  is  conspicuous  in 
the  mouldings  of  the  canopy  and  behind  the  tomb 
there  is  a  mutilated  carving  of  the  Crucifixion,  sur- 
rounded by  vine-leaves  and  tendrils,  quite  similar 
to  the  leafage  of  the  Cantilupe  Shrine.  In  a  neigh- 
bouring recess  decorated  with  the  ball-flower  lies 
the  effigy  of  an  unknown  lady  of  the  Fourteenth 
Century. 

The  North-choir-aisle  is  entered  through  the 
original  Norman  arch.  In  the  north  wall  of  this 
aisle  in  a  series  of  arched  recesses  (Decorated) 
lie  the  effigies  of  various  ecclesiastics.  Beyond  the 
first  one,  Bishop  Geoffry  de  Clive  (died  1120),  a 
door  opens  upon  the  turret  staircase  leading  tp 


HEREFORD  181 

a  typical  monastic  Library,  containing  more  than 
2,000  volumes,  MSS.  and  ancient  deeds,  the  accu- 
mulations of  eight  centuries.  These  are  kept  in 
eighty  old  oak  cupboards  and  the  ancient  books  are 
chained. 

Descending  and  passing  to*  the  corner  of  the 
north-east  transept  we  come  to  Bishop  Stanbery's 
Chantry,  a  rich  example  of  late  Perpendicular, 
with  two  windows  on  the  north  side.  The  ceiling 
is  richly  groined.  The  capitals  at  the  corners  of 
the  chapel  are  very  grotesque.  Opposite  the  chan- 
try, on.  the  north  side  of  the  choir,  is  the  alabaster 
effigy  of  Bishop  Stanbery  (died  1474). 

In  the  wall  of  the  aisle  above  is  a  Decorated 
window.  The  glass  is  in  memory  of  Dr.  Musgrave, 
Archbishop  of  York,  previously  Bishop  of  Here- 
ford. The  subject  is  St.  Paul,  the  story  of  whose 
life  is  continued  in  the  windows  of  the  chantry. 

Immediately  beyond,  the  north-east-transept 
opens.  It  is  Early  Decorated,  retaining  some  Nor- 
man characteristics.  In  the  centre  rises  an  oc- 
tagonal pier  which  helps  to  carry  the  quadripartite 
vaulting,  which  has  good  bosses  of  leafage.  This 
pier  gives  a  peculiar  character  to  this  transept.  The 
windows  are  Early  Decorated. 

The  South  transept  retains  much  that  is  Nor- 
man, although  it  was  altered  during  the  Perpen- 
dicular period,  when  two  huge  windows  were  cut 
into  the  walls.  Perpendicular  panelling  surrounds 
that  in  the  south  wall.  The  lierne  vaulting  is  also 
of  the  same  date.  The  east  wall  has  five  series  of 
Norman  arcades.  Two  Norman  windows  in  the 
clerestory  contribute  light. 

The  Denton  tomb,  with  its  effigies  in  alabaster 
showing  traces  of  colour,  dates  from  1576. 


182  HEREFORD 

The  organ,  in  the  first  archway  on  the  south  side 
of  the  choir,  was  the  gift  of  Charles  II.  It  has 
been  twice  enlarged. 

Effigies  of  bishops  fill  the  four  Decorated  arched 
recesses  on  the  soutji  wall  of  the  south-choir-aisle 
and  on  the  north  wall,  under  an  arch  opening  to 
the  choir,  is  the  tomb  of  Bishop  De  Lorraine,  or 
Losinga  (died  1095).  Here  is  also  the  monument 
and  tomb  to  Bishop  Mayhew,  of  Magdalen  Col- 
lege (1504-1516);  some  old  windows  restored  by 
Warrington;  and  the  famous  Map  of  the  World, 
one  of  the  most  valuable  relics  of  mediaeval  geog- 
raphy in  existence.  It  was  designed  about  1314 
by  Richard  of  Haldingham,  a  Lincolnshire  monk. 
It  was  discovered  more  than  a  hundred  years  ago 
under  the  floor  of  Bishop  Audley's  Chapel. 

The  South-east-transept,  between  the  retro- 
choir  and  the  chapter-house,  opens  into  the  lat- 
ter. The  style  is  in  the  main  Decorated,  though 
the  window  tracery  is  later  quite  Flamboyant.  One 
single  octagonal  pillar  separates  it  from  its  eastern 
aisle.  From  this  transept  a  lovely  view  of  the 
Lady-Chapel  can  be  enjoyed. 

The  peculiar  darkness  of  the  Choir  is  due  to  the 
arrangement  of  the  transepts,  which  prevents  the 
admission  of  light  except  from  the  clerestory. 

"  The  main  arches  of  the  choir  are  of  three  orders,  and 
spring  from  massive  composite  piers,  with  broad,  square 
bases.  The  capitals  of  the  semi-detached  shafts  are  en- 
riched with  leafage  and  grotesque  heads.  The  triforium 
in  each  bay  consists  of  one  wide  Norman  arch  circum- 
scribing two  smaller,  divided  by  a  central  shaft,  and 
springing  on  either  side  from  two  massive  semicircular 
piers,  with  small  capitals.  Both  outer  and  inner  arches 
spring  from  these  piers.  The  capitals  of  the  central  shafts 
have  square  abaci,  and  are  enriched.  The  tympana  of  the 


HEREFORD  183 

outer  arches  are  covered  with  scallop,  leaf  and  billet  orna- 
ment. At  the  base  of  the  triforium  runs  a  square  string- 
course, enriched  with  minute  carving.  The  lozenge  orna- 
ment prevails  round  the  main  arches  of  the  choir,  as  does 
the  zigzag  round  those  of  the  nave. 

"  Broad  square  pilasters,  with  semi-detached  shafts  at 
their  angels,  fill  the  spaces  between  the  piers.  They  termi- 
nate at  the  spring  of  the  triforium  arches  in  double  tri- 
angular headings,  with  crocketed  sides  and  finials  of  leaf- 
age. These  headings  are  Early  English,  of  the  same  date 
as  the  clerestory  and  vaulting;  and  between  each  pair 
rises  a  group  of  so-called  vaulting-shafts,  with  capitals 
of  leafage,  terminating  at  the  base  of  the  clerestory;  and 
connected  (under  the  actual  base  of  the  clerestory)  by  a 
band  of  open  flowers.  The  clerestory  consists  of  one  lofty 
pointed  arch  in  each  bay,  divided  by  a  central;  on  either 
side  is  a  smaller  trefoiled  arch.  The  windows,  of  two 
lights,  with  a  quatrefoil  in  the  heading,  are  placed  at  the 
back  of  the  wall-passage,  and  form  in  effect  a  double 
plane  with  the  large  inner  arches.  They  are  filled  on  each 
side  with  indifferent  stained  glass.  The  choir  vaulting  is 
plain  quadripartite,  with  bosses  of  leafage  at  the  inter- 
sections."—(R.  J.  K.) 

The  Choir-stalls  are  Decorated.  Some  of  the 
Misereres  are  quaint.  The  Bishop's  Throne  dates 
from  the  Fourteenth  Century.  The  Cathedral  also 
possesses  an  ancient  episcopal  chair,  which,  it  is 
said,  King  Stephen  sat  in  when  he  visited  Hereford. 

Within  a  great  Norman  arch  of  five  orders  stands 
the  modern  Reredos,  at  the  back  of  which  rises  a 
great  pier  from  which  spring  two  pointed  arches. 
The  spandrel,  or  Tympanum,  is  covered  with  mod- 
ern sculpture — the  Saviour  in  Majesty  and  the 
Evangelists ;  and  below  a  statue  of  King  Ethelbert, 
who  was  said  to  have  been  buried  in  the  first  Saxon 
church  somewhere  about  this  spot. 

From  the  Retro-choir  we  pass  into  the  Vestibule 
of  the  Lady-Chapel,  the  walls  of  which  are  broken 


184  HEREFORD 

with  transitional  Norman  window  openings, — 
pointed  arches  with  massive  mouldings.  The 
foliage  of  the  capitals  is  Early  English. 

Five  steps  (necessitated  by  the  height  of  the 
crypt  below)  lead  up  to  the  Lady- Chap  el,  very  rich 
Early  English,  dating  from  the  first  half  of  the 
Thirteenth  Century.  It  is  24  x  45  feet  and  of  three 
bays.  On  the  north  side  each  bay  contains  two 
large  windows;  on  the  south  side,  the  third  bay  is 
filled  by  the  Audley  Chapel. 

•  "The  very  rich  clustered  shafts  and  arches  of  the  side 
windows  should  be  especially  noticed.  The  capitals  of  the 
shafts  are  Early  English  leafage;  and  there  are  small 
heads  at  the  intersections  and  crowns  of  the  arches.  A 
circle  enclosing  a  quatrefpil  pierces  the  wall  above  these 
windows.  The  vaulting  is  plain  quadripartite,  and  springs 
from  shafts  which  descend  upon  a  base  raised  slightly  above 
the  pavement.  The  modern  pavement  of  the  Lady-chapel 
is  laid  with  red  and  green  tiles  in  large  square  panels. 
The  whole  design  is  broad  and  good  in  outline;  and  is 
somewhat  richer  at  the  altar  end,  which  is  raised  on  one 
step." 

Ferguson  has  remarked  that 

"  Nowhere  on  the  Continent  are  such  combinations  to  be 
found  as  the  Five  Sisters  at  York,  the  east  end  of  Ely, 
or  such  a  group  as  that  which  terminates  the  east  end  of 
Hereford." 

Many  of  its  features  were  hidden  until  the  res- 
torations and  repairs  were  undertaken  in  1841. 

"The  glorious  EAST-WINDOW  consists  of  five  narrow 
lancets  recessed  within  arches  supported  by  clustered 
shafts,  the  wall  above  being  perforated  with  five  quatrefoil 
openings,  of  which  the  outside  ones  are  circular  and  the 
centre  three  are  oval.  It  was  as  a  memorial  to  Dean 
Merewether,  to  whom  the  cathedral  owes  so  much,  that  the 
stained  glass  designed  by  Cottingham  was  placed  in  the 


HEREFORD  185 

east  windows  in  the  narrow  lancets  that  he  loved  so 
dearly.  It  represents  scenes  in  the  early  life  of  the  Virgin 
and  the  life  of  Christ,  the  last  being  the  supper  in  the 
house  of  Mary  and  Martha.  In  the  side  windows  the 
visitor  should  especially  notice  the  rich  clustered  shafts 
and  arches,  the  Early  English  capitals  and  the  orna- 
mentation of  the  arches.  The  double  PISCINA  and  AUMBRY 
south  of  the  altar  are  restorations  necessitated  by  the 
dilapidated  state  of  the  originals."-— (A.  H.  F.) 

In  the  central  bay  on  the  north  side  lies  the 
effigy  of  Sir  Peter  de  Grandison  (died  1358) 
under  a  canopy  of  open  tabernacle  work.  The 
armour  is  very  interesting.  Once  the  effigy  was 
supposed  to  be  Humphrey  de  Bohun,  Earl  of  Here- 
ford. On  the  same  side  lies  Joanna  de  Bohun, 
Countess  of  Hereford  (died  1327).  Her  effigy  is 
a  splendid  study  in  costume.  She  left  a  large 
estate  to  the  Cathedral. 

A  black  marble  slab,  with  brass,  marks  the  rest- 
ing-place of  Dean  Merewether  (died  1850). 
Dean  Berew,  or  Beaurieu,  in  the  south  wall  of  the 
vestibule,  is  one  of  the  best  specimens  of  sculpture 
in  the  Cathedral.  He  died  in  1462. 

It  was  not  every  bishop  who  could  build  two 
chantries;  but  Bishop  Audley  (1492-1502)  built 
himself  a  charming  Tudor  chapel,  two  stories  high, 
projecting  from  the  south  side  of  the  Lady  Chapel, 
a  circular  staircase  giving  access  to  the  upper  room. 
He  intended  it  for  his  tomb;  but  as  he  was  trans- 
lated to  Salisbury  in  1502,  he  had  the  trouble  of 
building  another  one  there,  in  which  he  was  buried. 

"The  lower  chamber  is  shut  off  from  the  Lady-chapel 
by  a  screen  of  painted  stone  with  open-work  panelling  in 
two  stages.  The  chapel  is  pentagonal  in  plan,  and  has  two 
windows,  while  a  third  opens  into  the  Lady-chapel  through 


i86  HEREFORD 

the  screen.    The  ceiling  is  vaulted,  and  bears  evidence  of 
having   in   former   times   been   elaborately   painted. 

"  There  are  five  windows  in  the  upper  chamber  and  the 
groined  roof  is  distinctly  good.  The  boss  in  the  centre 
represents  the  Virgin  crowned  in  glory.  On  other  parts 
of  the  ceiling  are  the  arms  of  Bishop  Audley  and  those 
of  the  Deanery,  as  well  as  a  shield  bearing  the  letters 
R.  I.  The  upper  part  of  the  chantry,  which  is  divided  from 
the  Lady-chapel  by  the  top  of  the  screen  which  serves  as 
a  kind  of  rail,  may  have  been  used  as  an  oratory;  but  no 
remains  of  an  altar  have  been  found.  On  the  door  open- 
ing on  the  staircase  is  some  good  iron-work,  and  Bishop 
Audley's  initials  may  be  noticed  on  the  lock.  Standing  by 
the  door  of  this  chapel,  the  visitor  has  a  lovely  view  west- 
ward: two  pillars  rising  in  the  roof  and  across  the  top 
of  the  reredos;  to  the  right,  the  Norman  arches  of  the 
north  transept  and  further  on  still  the  nave." — (A.  H.  F.) 

From  the  south  side  of  the  Lady-Chapel  we  en- 
ter the  Crypt  by  steps  leading  down  from  an  Early 
English  porch.  It  is  50  feet  long,  and  consists  of  a 
nave  and  aisles.  Because  the  crypt  was  used  as  a 
charnel-house,  it  is  called  Golgotha.  It  is  lighted 
by  plain  lancets. 

There  are  only  a  few  fragments  of  old  glass  in 
the  windows,  some  of  the  best  (early  Fourteenth 
Century)  is  in  one  of  the  lancets  on  the  south  side 
of  the  Lady-Chapel.  The  subjects  are  Christ  sur- 
rounded by  symbols  of  the  Four  Evangelists ;  Lamb 
and  flag;  Angel  and  Marys  at  the  Sepulchre;  Cruci- 
fixion ;  Christ  carrying  the  Cross. 

A  window  in  the  north-east  transept  contains 
Fourteenth  Century  glass,  restored  by  Warrington 
in  1864:  St.  Katherine;  St.  Michael;  St.  Gregory; 
and  St.  Thomas  of  Canterbury.  In  the  south-east 
transept  a  similar  window  exhibits  St.  Mary  Mag- 
dalene; St.  Ethelbert;  St.  Augustine;  and  St. 
George.  The  many  memorial  windows  do  not  call 


o 
U 

Q 
O 

3 


I 


h 

I 


w 

CJ 

o 


HEREFORD  187 

for  special  attention.  One,  however,  in  the  north 
transept,  erected  to  Archdeacon  Lane  Freer,  is  to 
be  noticed  on  account  of  the  tracery.  It  is  one  of 
the  largest  in  England  of  the  period  of  Edward  I. 

From  the  south-east  transept  we  enter  a  narrow 
passage,  the  Vicars'  Cloister,  that  leads  to  the  Col- 
lege of  Vicars-Choral  (1396).  It  is  a  picturesque 
quadrangle  with  an  inner  cloister  (Perpendicular, 
about  1474). 

The  Bishop's  Palace  lies  south,  between  the  Ca- 
thedral and  the  river  Wye. 


WORCESTER 

DEDICATION  :  THE  BLESSED  VIRGIN,  ST.  PETER  AND  THE 
HOLY  CONFESSORS,  OSWALD  AND  WULSTAN.  FORMERLY 
THE  CHURCH  OF  A  BENEDICTINE  MONASTERY. 

SPECIAL  FEATURES  :  NAVE  ;  CHOIR-STALLS  ;  TOMB  OF  KING 
JOHN;  CHANTRY  OF  PRINCE  ARTHUR;  ARCADE  ACROSS 

TRANSEPTS    AND    LADY-CHAPEL  J    CRYPT. 

THE  Cathedral  of  Worcester  is  severe  and  plain ; 
but  its  very  severity  appeals  to  some  critics,  as  do 
the  general  lines  of  the  entire  edifice. 

"  The  beautiful  proportions  of  the  great  tower  harmonise 
so  well  with  the  general  plan  and  mass  of  the  rest  of  the 
fabric  that  although  it  has  no  pride  of  place  like  Durham 
or  Lincoln,  it  still  dominates  the  whole  city  and  vicinity  in 
a  great  and  unmistakable  manner.  The  flat  meadow-land 
of  the  Severn  valley  in  this  part  of  the  county,  unbroken 
westward  up  to  the  very  foot  of  the  Malvern  hills,  gives  the 
Cathedral  on  this  side  the  importance  of  the  chief  feature 
in  many  miles  of  landscape.  And  as  one  approaches  from 
the  eastward,  over  the  slight  eminences  on  which  the  battle 
of  Worcester  was  chiefly  fought,  a  glimpse  of  the  tower 
is  the  earliest  evidence  of  the  existence  of  the  city." — 
(E.  F.  S.) 

The  history  of  Worcester  Cathedral  begins  with 
Oswald,  a  Benedictine  monk,  consecrated  Bishop 
of  Worcester  by  Dunstan  in  961.  Oswald's  cathe- 
dral, finished  in  983,  was  destroyed  by  the  Danes  in 
1041,  and  rebuilt  in  1084-1089  by  Wulstan,  a  monk 
of  Worcester,  who  became  Bishop  in  1062.  Wul- 
stan placed  his  church  a  little  to  the  south  of  the 
first  one.  His  crypt  still  remains, — the  most  fa- 
mous crypt  in  England.  Wulstan's  tomb  was  mi- 
188 


WORCESTER  189 

raculously  preserved  when  a  fire  burned  parts  of 
the  cathedral  in  1113,  eight  years  after  his  death. 
jMiracles  were  performed  and  cures  effected.  Fi- 
nally in  1203  Wulstan  was  canonized. 

When  King  John  died  in  1216,  he  was  buried 
before  the  High  Altar  between  the  tombs  of  Os- 
wald and  Wulstan. 

The  Cathedral  was  dedicated  in  1218  in  the 
presence  of  King  Henry  III,  and  bishops,  abbots, 
priors  and  nobles  from  all  parts  of  the  kingdom. 

The  church  suffered  from  fires  and  storms ;  and 
the  central  tower  fell  in  1175.  Rebuilding  was  fre- 
quently a  necessity;  and,  therefore,  many  styles 
are  to  be  found  throughout  the  fabric. 

Repairs  were  undertaken  between  1702  and  1712, 
when  the  choir  was  paved  and  when  it  is  sup- 
posed that  the  spires  on  the  corners  of  the  presby- 
tery, transepts  and  nave  were  added. 

An  important  series  of  repairs  and  restorations 
were  undertaken  by  Wilkinson  from  1748  to  1756. 
At  this  period 

"  the  north  end  of  the  nave  transept  was  rebuilt,  the  stone 
pulpit  removed  from  the  nave  to  the  choir,  and  the  latter 
re-paved  with  blue  and  white  stone.  The  old  right-of-way 
through  the  cathedral  was  replaced  by  a  more  proper  and 
convenient  passage  round  the  west  end;  and  many  grave- 
stones were  removed  from  the  floors  of  the  side  aisles  of 
the  choir,  and  from  the  nave,  which  were  re-paved  with 
white  stone.  The  Jesus  Chapel  was  opened  to  the  nave 
and  the  font  therein  erected. 

"  The  great  flying  buttresses  at  the  east  end  were  erected 
between  1736  and  1789.  The  great  west  window  was  re- 
built in  1789,  and  that  of  the  east  end  in  1792.  In  1812  a 
new  altar-screen  and  choir-screen  were  built,  and  the  tall 
pinnacles  taken  down  after  1832. 

"  In  1857  began  the  great  restoration  of  the  cathedral 
under  the  auspices  of  Mr.  Perkins,  the  architect  to  the 


190  WORCESTER 

dean  and  chapter,  whose  work  was  continued  and  amplified 
by  Sir  Gilbert  Scott,  who  was  employed  after  1864. 

"  The  results  of  this  restoration,  probably  the  most  com- 
plete and  far-reaching  undergone  by  any  British  cathedral, 
include  the  exterior  and  interior  of  the  tower,  the  pave- 
ments throughout  the  building;  the  decoration  of  the  choir 
and  Lady-chapel ;  all  the  windows,  and  almost  the  whole  of 
the  furniture  and  fittings,  including  a  new  reredos,  choir- 
screen,  organ  and  pulpit.  The  restored  cathedral  was  re- 
opened, with  a-  magnificent  choral  service  on  the  8th  of 
April,  1874.  Since  that  date  many  additions  have  been 
made,  splendid  evidences  of  the  survival  of  the  old  local 
patriotism;  for  almost  everything  is  due  to  the  munificence 
of  local  donors." — (E.  F.  S.) 

The  chief  feature  is  the  central  Tower,  supposed 
to  have  been  completed  in  1374.  It  has  been  re- 
stored carefully. 

"  It  is  of  two  stages.  The  first  has  two  lancets  on  each 
side,  within  an  arcade  of  seven  bays.  Each  of  the  upper 
stages  has  two  louvred  windows  surmounted  by  crocketed 
canopies,  and  ornamented  by  three  large  sculptured  figures 
in  niches,  of  the  whole  twelve  of  which,  six  are  modern. 
The  whole  is  crowned  by  an  open  rail,  or  parapet,  with  six 
spirelets  on  either  side  and  a  crocketed  pinnacle  at  each 
corner."— (E.  F.  S.) 

The  West  End  contains  one  large  modern  win- 
dow of  eight  lights  with  a  wheel  window  above. 
The  gable,  with  three  small  lancet  windows,  is  sur- 
mounted by  a  cross  and  flanked  by  two  buttresses 
topped  by  pinnacles.  The  doorway  in  the  west 
front  is  also  modern  (1857-1873)  ;  but  parts  of  the 
old  Norman  doorway  have  been  inserted. 

On  the  north  side,  the  North  Porch  (24  feet 
long  and  8  feet  broad)  consists  of  two  bays.  The 
front  was  restored.  The  sculptured  figures  in  the 
canopied  niches  are  Christ  and  the  Twelve  Apostles. 
Above  these  is  a  row  of  saints  and  then  Perpen- 


WORCESTER  191 

dicular  battlements.  An  exterior  turret  and  stair- 
case lead  to  the  rooms  above  it,  occupied  by  the 
porter.  Two  bays,  each  with  a  window,  follow ;  then 
comes  the  Jesus  Chapel;  then  one  more  bay;  and 
then  the  north-transept,  with  its  gable,  cross  and 
pinnacles;  then  four  more  bays;  then  the  choir; 
then  three  more  bays;  and,  finally,  the  Lady- 
Chapel.  The  south  side  is  similar,  with  the  excep- 
tion of  the  projecting  Chapel  of  St.  John. 

Pinnacles  are  a  striking  feature  on  all  sides  of 
the  edifice. 

On  entering  we  are  struck  with  the  long  vista,  for 
the  closed  choir-screen,,  found  in  so  many  English 
cathedrals,  is  conspicuously  absent.  The  propor- 
tions of  the  Nave  are  justly  admired.  It 

"consists  of  nine  bays,  of  which  the  two  westernmost  are 
of  widely  different  character  and  date  from  the  remaining 
seven.  Its  breadth,  including  the  aisles,  is  78  feet,  its 
length  170  feet,  and  its  height  68  feet;  which  dimensions 
may  be  compared  with  those  of  Salisbury,  82  feet,  229  feet 
6  inches,  and  81  feet;  and  of  Wells,  82  feet,  161  feet,  and 
67  feet,  respectively.  The  two  western  severies  are  of  great 
interest.  The  pier  arches  are  pointed,  but  rise  from  Late 
Norman  capitals;  the  triforium  stages  have  each  two  three- 
light  round-headed  windows,  of  which  the  centre  one  is 
considerably  the  highest,  surmounted  with  zigzag  ornament 
and  decorated  with  characteristic  lozenges,  the  whole  en- 
closed within  a  pointed  moulding.  The  clerestory  has,  in 
each  bay,  a  central  round-headed  light,  with  Norman  orna- 
ment above  it,  flanked  by  blank  pointed  windows,  consider- 
ably smaller. 

"  On  the  north  side,  the  whole  of  the  walls  of  the  five 
eastern  bays,  and  the  pier  arches  of  the  next  two  towards 
the  west  belong  to  the  Decorated  period,  and  may  be  dated 
between  1317  and  1327.  The  remainder  of  the  two  latter 
bays  and  the  whole  of  the  seven  eastern  bays  of  the  south 
side  are  very  early  Perpendicular.  Willis  considers  that 
this  work  was  probably  begun  in  the  middle  of  the  four- 


192  WORCESTER 

teenth  century,  and  completed  by  the  date  of  the  vaulting 
of  the  nave,  1377,  which  would  establish  it  as  one  of  the 
earliest  specimens  of  Perpendicular  work  in  the  country. 
The  triforium  arcade  consists  of  two  pointed  arches,  each 
subdivided  again  into  two;  and  the  clerestory  has  a  large 
central  light,  with  a  smaller  light  on  either  side  in  each 
bay.  On  the  north  side  these  are  the  ordinary  pointed 
arches  of  the  Decorated  period;  on  the  south  the  lateral 
arches  are  straight  sided,  and  the  central  arch  only  has  a 
small  curve  on  joining  the  vertical  piers.  Similar  arches, 
but  a  century  earlier  in  date,  occur  in  the  north  transepts 
of  Hereford  and  of  Rochester  Cathedrals."— (E.  F.  S.) 

The  vaulting  was  finished  in  1377.  The  glass 
of  the  windows  is  modern,  as  is  also  the  handsome 
pulpit,  designed  by  Sir  Gilbert  Scott,  Italian  in 
style  and  made  of  alabaster  and  grey  and  green 
marble. 

The  monuments  and  tombs  call  for  no  special 
description,  with  the  exception  of  the  altar-tomb  of 
John  Beauchamp,  fourth  bay  from  the  east.  It 
dates  from  the  early  Fifteenth  Century  and  is  pan- 
elled in  five  compartments  with  coloured  armorial 
bearings.  The  knight  lies  here  in  full  armour,  with 
pointed  basinet,  sleeveless  jupon  and  baldric.  His 
lady  beside  him  is  in  the  costume  of  the  period. 
Her  head  rests  on  a  swan  and  a  dog  lies  at  her  feet. 

The  North  aisle  (1317-1327)  is  Decorated.  Be- 
yond the  north  porch,  we  come  to  Jesus  Chapel, 
enclosed  by  a  stone  screen  (Perpendicular)  and 
containing  a  wooden  altar  with  a  full-size  Madonna 
and  Child. 

The  North  transept  is  a  mixture  of  Norman  and 
Perpendicular.  It  consists  of  two  bays ;  and  in  the 
north-west  corner  is  the  circular  stair-turret.  The 
South  transept  is  similar  to  the  north,  and  has, 
likewise,  a  stair-turret  in  the  south-west  corner. 


bf 


W 

t/3 
- 
CJ 


§ 

w 


o 
W 
U 


o 

£ 


WORCESTER  193 

The  west  window  is  of  Perpendicular  tracery.  A 
fine  Norman  arch,  partly  closed  by  a  Perpendicular 
screen,  marks  the  entrance  to  the  Chapel  of  St. 
John.  Both  transepts  are  aisleless.  The  South 
aisle  of  the  nave  is  Norman  and  Transitional.  The 
Font  is  modern. 

The  Choir  was  begun  in  1224.  The  eastern  tran- 
septs were  added  at  the  same  time.  A  little  of  the 
old  Norman  work  betrays  itself  here  and  there. 
No  one  seems  to  know  why  Bishop  Godfrey  de 
Giffard  (1268-1301)  placed  gilded  brass  rings 
around  the  columns,  unless  it  was  for  the  sake  of 
adding  extra  strength. 

"The  beauty  of  the  pier-arches  and  those  of  the  trifo- 
rium,  relieved  so  handsomely  by  the  black  shafts  of  Pur- 
beck  marble  bearing  Bishop  Giffard's  brass  rings,  and  by 
the  finely  proportioned  spandrels  of  each  bay,  is  by  no 
means  to  be  under-estimated. 

"  The  choir  is  of  five  bays,  including  the  eastern  cross- 
ing, which  is  of  greater  width  than  the  others.  The  pier- 
arch  mouldings  are  of  two  patterns,  one  very  similar  to 
those  of  the  choir  and  presbytery  at  Salisbury,  having  one 
of  the  ribs  flanked  by  a  double  range  of  dog-tooth.  The 
piers  themselves,  as  well  as  those  in  the  Lady-chapel,  are 
octagonal,  and  have  detached  Purbeck  shafts,  eleven  of 
which  are  fixed  with  a  narrow  course  of  marble  embracing 
the  shaft  in  the  manner  of  a  ring;  and  the  remaining 
eight  with  brass  rings;  the  two  processes  being  used  sym- 
metrically, so  that  shafts  similarly  fixed  stand  opposite  to 
each  other. 

"  The  triforium  consists  of  two  large  arches  in  each  bay, 
subdivided  again  into  two.  During  the  restoration  the 
pillars,  which  had  been  whitewashed,  were  restored  to 
their  original  rich  black  colour,  and  the  rings  which  bind 
them  made  visible.  The  sculptures  in  the  spandrels  are 
restorations  by  Boulton.  The  inner  wall  of  the  triforium 
walk  is  decorated  with  a  finely-proportioned  arcade,  which 
adds  greatly  to  the  general  effect.  The  clerestory  has  a 
triplet  of  pointed  lights  in  each  bay,  the  centre  one  being 


194  WORCESTER 

considerably  higher  than  those  at  the  side,  although  they 
rise  from  pillars  of  equal  height.  The  vault  of  the  roof 
springs,  in  each  severy,  from  a  single  shaft  terminated 
with  a  foliated  capital;  it  is  simple  in  character,  and  was 
probably  completed  before  the  end  of  the  first  half  of  the 
thirteenth  century.  The  elaborate  pavement  of  Devonshire 
marble  and  encaustic  tiles  is  modern." — (E.  F.  S.) 

The  Choir-stalls  (restored)  date  from  1379. 
The  thirty-seven  miserere  seats  represent  Biblical, 
mythological  and  contemporary  figures. 

The  Reredos,  behind  the  High  Altar,  composed 
of  alabaster,  inlaid  with  coloured  marbles,  lapis 
lazuli,  agates  and  malachite,  is  modern.  The 
Bishop's  Throne  is  also  modern;  but  the  richly 
carved  Pulpit  of  white  stone  dates  from  about  1630. 
It  bears  the  arms  of  England,  France,  Scotland  and 
Ireland. 

In  the  centre  of  the  choir  in  front  of  the  altar 
steps  stands  the  Tomb  of  King  John.  When  John 
died  in  the  Castle  of  Newark  in  1216,  his  body 
was  brought  to  Worcester  Cathedral  and  buried 
before  the  High  Altar.  In  1797  the  tomb  was 
opened.  The  effigy,  now  gilded,  is  the  earliest  royal 
effigy  in  England.  It  dates  from  the  early  Thir- 
teenth Century  and  is  probably  a  good  likeness  of 
the  Magna  Charta  king.  Bloxam's  description  in 
1862,  gives  an  idea  of  its  original  appearance: 

"  The  effigy  was  originally  the  cover  of  the  stone  coffin 
in  which  the  remains  of  that  monarch  were  deposited  in  the 
Chapel  of  the  Virgin,  at  the  east  end  of  the  cathedral. 
The  altar  tomb  is  of  a  much  later  period,  probably  con- 
structed early  in  the  sixteenth  century,  when  the  tomb  of 
Prince  Arthur  was  erected.  .  .  .  The  sides  of  this  tomb 
are  divided  into  three  square  compartments  by  panelled 
buttresses;  each  compartment  contains  a  shield  bearing 
the  royal  arms  within  a  quatrefoil  richly  cusped;  the 
spandrels  are  also  foliated  and  cusped.  ...  It  is,  how- 


WORCESTER  195 

ever,  the  effigy  of  the  king,  sculptured  in  the  early  part  of 
the  Thirteenth  Century,  and  probably  the  earliest  sepul- 
chral effigy  in  the  cathedral,  to  which  our  chief  attention 
should  be  drawn.  This  effigy  represents  him  in  the  royal 
habiliments ;  first,  the  tunic,  yellow,  or  of  cloth  of  gold, 
reaching  nearly  to  the  ankles,  with  close-fitting  sleeves,  of 
which  little  is  apparent.  Over  the  tunic  is  seen  the  dal- 
matic, of  a  crimson  colour,  with  wide  sleeves  edged  with 
a  gold  and  jewelled  border,  and  girt  about  the  waist  by 
a  girdle  buckled  in  front,  the  pendant  end  of  the  girdle, 
which  is  jewelled,  falling  down  as  low  as  the  skirt  of  the 
dalmatic.  Of  the  yellow  mantle  lined  with  green  little  is 
visible.  On  the  feet  are  black  shoes,  to  the  heels  of  which 
are  affixed  spurs.  On  the  hands  are  gloves,  jewelled  at  the 
back;  the  right  hand  held  a  sceptre,  the  lower  portion  of 
which  only  is  left;  the  left  grasps  the  hilt  of  the  sword. 
On  the  head  is  the  crown ;  there  are  moustaches  and 
beard,  and  the  light-brown  hair  is  long.  On  either  side 
of  the  head  is  the  figure  of  a  bishop  holding  a  censer,  per- 
haps intended  to  represent  St.  Oswald  and  St.  Wulstan, 
between  whose  tombs  the  king  was  interred  in  the  Chapel 
of  the  Virgin." 

On  the  south  side  of  the  sanctuary  we  find  the 
Chantry  of  Prince  Arthur,  son  of  Henry  VII., 
who  died  at  Ludlow  Castle  in  1502.  This  is  the 
most  famous  piece  of  work  in  the  Cathedral,  and 
one  of  the  best  examples  of  Tudor  architecture  in 
existence.  It  was  erected  in  1504,  and 

"  consists  of  six  bays  of  open  tracery  divided  by  panels  of 
canopied  niches  containing  figures  and  heraldic  bearings 
surmounted  by  a  battlemented  rail  and  pinnacles.  Within 
is  a  richly  groined  roof,  with  unusual  flying  supports,  east 
and  west.  At  the  east  end  are  the  mutilated  remains  of  a 
rich  stone  reredos,  containing  a  figure  of  our  Lord,  and 
others  hardly  recognisable,  which  was  above  the  altar 
formerly  placed  here.  At  the  west  end  is  a  small  figure  of 
Henry  VII.  seated. 

"  The  tomb  itself  of  the  Prince  stands  in  the  centre  of 
the  chantry.  It  is  singularly  plain,  in  contrast  to  the  rich- 
ness of  its  surroundings,  almost  the  only  ornament  being 


196  WORCESTER 

the  arms  of  England  and  France  within  panels  on  the 
sides.  Around  the  top  runs  a  painted  inscription,  obviously 
a  late  substitute  for  a  brass  which  has  been  removed,  to 
this  effect :  '  Here  lyeth  buried  prince  Arthur,  the  first 
begotten  sonne  of  the  righte  renowned  Kinge  henry  the 
Seventhe,  whiche  noble  Prince  departed  oute  of  this  tran- 
sitory life  ate  the  Castle  of  Ludlowe,  in  the  seventeenth 
yeere  of  hys  father's  reign,  and  in  the  yeere  of  our  Lorde 
god  on  thousande  fyve  hundred  and  two.'  " — (E.  F.  S.) 

The  Chapel  of  St.  John,  projecting  from  two 
bays  of  the  south-choir-aisle,  is  on  the  site  of  a 
Norman  chapel.  The  Norman  arch  at  the  west  end 
is  its  finest  feature.  It  has  three  windows  filled 
with  modern  glass  and  a  piscina  in  the  south  wall. 

The  Eastern  transepts  demand  careful  atten- 
tion. 

"  The  design  of  the  walls  ...  is  extremely  beautiful. 
Two  lofty  triplets  of  lancet  lights  are  placed  the  one  above 
the  other.  The  lower  triplet  has  a  gallery  in  front  of  it 
immediately  above  the  arcaded  wall,  and  at  the  same  level 
as  the  sill  of  the  adjacent  side  aisle  windows.  The  upper 
triplet  has  a  similar  gallery  at  the  level  of  the  triforium. 
Rich  clustered  shafts  rise  from  the  lower  gallery  in  two 
orders ;  the  inner  order  carries  molded  arches  to  correspond 
with  the  heads  of  the  lower  triplet ;  the  shafts  of  the  outer 
order  rise  from  the  lower  gallery  up  to  the  impost  of  the 
upper  triplet,  grouping  themselves  with  the  shafts  that 
stand  in  front  of  the  upper  triplet,  and  uniting  in  one 
group  of  capitals  at  the  impost,  where  they  carry  a  range 
of  three  arches  with  deep  rich  mouldings.  Thus  the  entire 
composition  represents  a  gigantic  window  of  six  lights." — 

(WJ 

One  of  the  finest  features  of  the  Cathedral  is  the 
arcade  that  runs  along  the  whole  extent  of  the  east- 
ern transepts  and  across  the  Lady-Chapel. 

"  This  is  a  series  of  trefoil  headed  arcades  of  three 
mouldings,  resting  on  slender  Early  English  shafts,  each 
spandrel  having  been  filled  with  carvings  which  take  high 


WORCESTER  197 

rank  among  the  best  of  the  English  school  of  the  Thir- 
teenth Century.  They  have  now  been,  to  a  great  extent, 
restored  (by  Boulton),  and  many,  including  all  at  the  east 
end,  are  entirely  new.  The  best  of  the  old  ones  are  figured 
by  Aldis;  and  the  most  interesting,  whether  entirely  an- 
cient or  partly  restored,  are  as  follows,  starting  from  the 
west  wall  of  the  south-eastern  transept: 

"  Two  crusaders  fighting  a  lion.  A  centaur.  An  angel 
weighing  a  soul,  and  the  devil  pulling  down  the  scale. 
Devils  roasting  a  soul  in  hell.  The  Jaws  of  Death.  A  body 
borne  to  burial.  Expulsion  of  Adam  and  Eve.  An  angel 
leading  a  righteous  soul  to  heaven.  The  dead  rising  from 
coffins.  Christ  enthroned.  The  archangel  blowing  the  last 
trump.  An  angel  holding  a  cross. 

"South  Aisle. — Two  monks  building.  A  queen  instruct- 
ing an  architect.  Two  monks  discussing  plans.  A  devil 
with  bird's  claws,  riding  on  a  man's  shoulders.  The  Cruci- 
fixion. 

"Lady-Chapel. — Centaur  and  crusader.  Prophets  and 
Bible  subjects  (modern),  grotesque. 

"North  Aisle. — Bishop  offering  a  model  of  the  cathedral 
at  an  altar  (perhaps  Bishop  Henry  de  Blois,  d.  1236).  The 
Annunciation.  The  Visitation.  The  Nativity. 

"  North  Transept. — Old  Testament  subjects.  A  bishop. 
A  monk  chastising  a  novice." — (E.  F.  S.) 

The  tracery  of  the  windows  in  the  choir,  aisles 
and  the  Lady-Chapel  is  modern,  patterned  on  Early 
English  models.  The  entire  east  wall  is  modern. 
The  window  consists  of  five  lights  in  two  tiers.  The 
glass  dates  from  1860  and  represents  the  Crucifixion 
and  the  Ascension. 

In  the  south  aisle  of  the  Lady-Chapel  we  notice 
one  of  the  finest  effigies  in  the  building.  It  is  a 
Fourteenth  Century  lady,  whose  left  hand  holds  the 
cord  of  her  cloak.  A  little  dog  lies  at  her  feet. 
It  is  interesting  to  compare  this  with  another  un- 
known effigy  of  a  lady  of  the  Thirteenth  Century 
in  the  north  aisle  of  the  Lady-Chapel.  The  left 
hand  holds  a  glove. 


I98  WORCESTER 

In  front  of  the  altar  and  on  the  floor  of  the  Lady- 
Chapel  are  the  effigies  of  Bishop  William  de  Blois 
(died  1236)  and  his  successor  Bishop  Walter  de 
Cantelupe  (died  1265).  The  latter  is  in  higher 
relief  than  the  former  and  was  originally  set  with 
gems.  In  the  north  aisle  we  must  also  note  the 
large  effigy  of  Sir  James  de  Beauchamp,  in  com- 
plete armour  with  surcoat  and  long  shield  of  Henry 
III.'s  reign.  Beneath  the  reredos  lies  the  richly 
robed  figure  of  Hawford,  Dean  of  Worcester  in 
1553-1557.  On  the  south  side  lies  William,  Earl 
of  Dudley,  in  white  marble  on  arches  of  alabaster. 
The  Lady-Chapel  is  of  the  same  date  as  the  choir. 

From  the  south  transept  of  the  nave  we  enter  the 
famous  Crypt,  which  dates  from  1084.  It  was  built 
after  that  of  Winchester  (1079)  and  before  those 
of  Gloucester  (1089)  and  Canterbury  (1096). 
Three  rows  of  pillars  form  four  walks,  with  an 
outer  aisle  of  two  rows  of  pillars.  It  was  sur- 
rounded by  several  chapels,  but  only  the  southern 
chapel  is  now  accessible.  The  pillars  are  admired 
for  their  grace  and  lightness,  when  illuminated.  It 
suggests  the  Mosque  of  Cordova.  In  comparing 
the  crypts  of  Winchester,  Gloucester,  Canterbury, 
and  Worcester,  Willis  says: 

"  The  height  of  all  these  crypts  is  nearly  the  same ;  so 
that  at  Winchester  and  Gloucester  the  arches  are  flattened 
into  ellipses,  the  pillars  are  low  and  squat,  and  the  crypts 
appear  as  sepulchral  vaults ;  while  at  Worcester,  where  the 
arches  are  semicircular  and  the  pillars  more  slender,  the 
crypt  is  a  complex  and  beautiful  temple." 

The  Cloisters  form  an  irregular  quadrangle  en- 
closing a  lovely  green  garth,  83  feet  square.  The 
roof  of  the  walks  is  richly  vaulted.  The  glass  in 
the  windows  in  the  south  alley  depicted  the  history 


WORCESTER  199 

and  miracles  of  St.  Wulstan,  but  the  glass  was 
destroyed  by  the  Puritans. 

Beyond  the  south  walk  is  the  Refectory,  a  hand- 
some building  of  red  sandstone,  dating  from  about 
1372.  It  is  now  used  as  a  class-room  of  the  Cathe- 
dral School  founded  by  King  Henry  VIII.  The 
monks'  lavatory  occupies  two  bays  in  the  north 
alley. 

From  the  west  walk  we  enter  the  Chapter- 
House,  originally  a  Norman  building  of  the  Elev- 
enth Century.  It  was  repaired  about  1400,  when 
the  Norman  windows  and  vaults  were  supplanted 
by  those  we  now  see.  The  present  Chapter-House 

"  consists  of  ten  bays,  with  a  Perpendicular  vaulted  roof 
rising  from  a  central  Norman  Column.  Each  bay  con- 
tains a  light  traceried  window,  of  which  two  are  entirely, 
and  two  half,  blocked  up.  Below  these  is  a  series  of 
slightly  hollowed  niches  in  grey,  blue  and  yellow  stone  in 
alternate  courses,  resting  on  three  courses  of  rough  red 
masonry.  These  niches  have  slight  traces  of  ancient  fresco 
painting;  they  are  surmounted  by  an  arcade  of  intersecting 
circular  arches  containing  smaller  arches.  Similar  orna- 
mentation is  to  be  found  in  the  chapter-houses  at  Bristol 
and  Rochester,  and  in  the  external  wall  of  Ernul'f's  crypt  at 
Canterbury."— (E.  F.  S.) 


LICHFIELD 

DEDICATION  :  ST.  CHAD  AND  ST.  MARY.  A  CHURCH  SERVED 
BY  SECULAR  CANONS. 

SPECIAL  FEATURES:  SPIRES;  WEST  FRONT;  NAVE;  LADY- 
CHAPEL;  HERKENRODE  GLASS. 

LICHFIELD  is  famed  for  its  three  beautiful  spires, 
the  only  church  in  England  with  this  distinguishing 
feature.  They  are  locally  known  as  "  Ladies  of 
the  Vale,"  or  "  Ladies  of  the  Valley." 

The  central  spire,  which  always  groups  so  charm- 
ingly with  the  two  that  rise  above  the  west  front, 
dates  from  the  Restoration,  and  is  an  imitation  of 
the  western  ones.  Its  predecessor,  destroyed  dur- 
ing the  Civil  Wars,  was  supposed  to  have  been  re- 
built about  1250.  The  two  western  spires  are  said 
to  have  been  built  by  Roger  de  Norbury  (1322- 
1359),  but  the  north-west  one  was  rebuilt  in  Per- 
pendicular times  in  imitation  of  the  earlier  style. 
The  south-west,  or  Jesus  Tower,  also  the  belfry, 
got  its  name  from  the  Jesus  Bell,  given  by  Dean 
Heyward  in  1477,  and  destroyed  during  the  Civil 
Wars.  The  Jesus  is  a  little  higher  than  the  other 
tower.  Both  spires  are  octagonal.  At  intervals 
they  are  broken  by  windows. 

"  Of  all  the  cathedral  churches  of  England,  Lichfield  may 
be  said  to  be  the  most  lovely.  Other  cathedrals  are  larger 
— indeed,  this  is  one  of  the  smallest; — many  are  grander, 
or  more  magnificent;  but  for  simple  beauty,  for  charm,  for 
delicacy  of  construction  and  appearance,  Lichfield  may 
rightly  claim  to  take  the  foremost  place.  Peterborough, 
when  we  stand  inside  the  west  door  and  look  down  its  line 
of  enormous  piers,  fills  us  with  awe  at  its  immensity  and 
200 


LICHFIELD:   WEST  FRONT 


LICHFIELD:    NAVE,  EAST 


LICHFIELD  201 


•ength ;  a  feeling  which  is  perhaps  a  little  impaired  by  the 
present  position  of  its  stalls.  Salisbury  appeals  to  us  with 
its  perfect  simplicity  and  symmetry,  and  York  with  its  un- 
equalled grandeur  and  splendour ;  but  after  viewing  all  the 
cathedrals  of  England,  it  is  Lichfield  which  is  most  likely  to 
be  remembered  among  them  for  something  which  may  be 
most  aptly  called  charm.  What  can  be  more  delightful  than 
the  view  which  confronts  the  traveller  who,  approaching 
from  the  town,  pauses  to  look  across  the  sparkling  water 
of  the  pool  at  the  three  graceful  spires  standing  out  amid 
a  wealth  of  green  trees  and  shrubs?  Truly  a  picture  to  be 
long  remembered. 

"  The  cathedral  stands  in  a  close  which  was  once  sur- 
rounded by  strong  walls  with  bastions  and  a  moat.  Na- 
ture had  supplied  the  moat  on  the  south  side,  and  the 
Cathedral  Pool,  as  it  is  now  called,  is  still  there.  The 
artificial  moat  has  been  drained,  but  its  course  can  be  easily 
traced  running  round  the  bishop's  palace,  and  its  water  has 
been  replaced  by  lovely  gardens  and  gravel  walks.  Some 
bits  of  the  old  wall  remain,  the  north-east  bastion  in  the 
palace  gardens  and  a  turret  on  a  house  at  the  south  corner : 
the  'beautiful  gates'  of  Bishop  Langton  are  gone;  but 
in  the  Vicars'  Close  at  the  west  of  the  cathedral  are  two 
small  irregular  courtyards  with  houses  so  old  that  we  feel 
sure  that  their  wooden  beams  and  plaster  were  there  when 
the  Royalists  of  the  neighbourhood  housed  themselves 
within  the  fortified  close. 

"  The  close  is  not  large,  and  of  course,  as  Lichfield  is  a 
cathedral  of  the  old  establishment,  there  are  no  monastical 
buildings,  no  ruined  cloisters.  On  the  north  side  the 
ground  rises  rapidly  in  a  grassy  slope  to  a  terrace,  behind 
which  are  some  of  the  canons'  houses.  Opposite  the  north 
transept  is  the  deanery,  a  substantial  red  brick  house  in  the 
style  of  the  middle  of  the  last  century;  next  to  it,  and 
farther  east,  is  the  bishop's  palace." — (A.  B.  C.) 

Lichfield  was  built  in  the  Thirteenth  and  Four- 
teenth Centuries  and  is,  therefore,  almost  entirely 
in  the  styles  of  Early  English  and  Decorated.  The 
Early  English  may  be  studied  in  the  transepts  which 
were  begun  first ;  Early  Decorated  in  the  nave ;  and 


202  LICHFIELD 

fully  developed  Decorated  in  the  Lady-Chapel  and 
Presbytery. 

There  is  a  curious  similarity  between  the  building 
of  Lichfield  and  York: 

"  The  Norman  Cathedral  of  York  was  built  in  1080,  and 
that  of  Lichfield  at  an  uncertain  date.  Between  1154-1181, 
Archbishop  Roger  substituted  for  the  original  chancel  at 
York  a  long,  square-ended  choir,  with  the  aisle  carried  be- 
hind the  end.  At  Lichfield,  during  the  same  period,  the 
large  chapel  was  built  at  the  end  of  the  Norman  apse ;  and 
about  the  beginning  of  the  Thirteenth  Century  the  whole 
Norman  eastern  termination  was,  as  at  York,  replaced  by  a 
long,  square-ended  choir  with  the  low  aisles  behind.  Next, 
at  York  the  Norman  transepts  were  rebuilt  in  Early  Eng- 
lish :  the  south  transept,  1230-1241 ;  followed  by  the  north 
transept,  1241-1260.  Also  at  Lichfield  the  Norman  tran- 
septs were  rebuilt  in  Early  English,  beginning  with  the 
south  and  ending  with  the  north.  The  Early  English  work 
of  this  cathedral  is  shown  by  the  licenses  to  dig  stone  to 
have  been  in  progress  in  1235  and  1238.  York  nave  and 
Lichfield  were  next  rebuilt  in  Early  Decorated — the  first 
in  1291-1324.  Lastly,  at  Lichfield,  the  elongation  of  the 
eastern  part  was  begun  at  the  extreme  east,  beyond  the 
existing  choir  by  the  Lady-chapel,  in  late  Decorated  under 
Bishop  Langton,  1296-1321,  and  followed  by  taking  down 
the  choir,  and  continuing  the  same  work  on  its  site  west- 
ward. The  works  at  York  followed  in  the  same  order,  but 
forty  or  fifty  years  later,  by  first  erecting  the  presbytery 
outside  the  existing  choir,  and  then  taking  down  the  latter 
and  continuing  the  work  of  the  presbytery  to  form  the  new 
choir.  The  plans  of  the  two  cathedrals  rival  each  other  in 
the  simplicity  of  their  proportions." — (W.) 

Nothing  definite  is  known  of  the  early  history  of 
this  Cathedral,  as  all  records  were  destroyed  during 
the  Civil  Wars.  In  all  probability  there  was  the 
same  old  story  of  a  Saxon  church  in  the  Seventh 
Century  succeeded  by  several  other  churches  until 
the  Norman  Cathedral  was  built,  probably  like 
Peterborough,  only  smaller. 


LICHFIELD  203 

This,  of  course,  fell  a  victim  to  the  change  of 
fashion,  and  was  pulled  down  gradually  as  the 
new  building — the  one  we  know  to-day — arose. 
The  first  thing  that  was  done  was  the  building 
of  a  new  choir  (Early  English)  from  the  central 
tower  to  the  seventh  bay  of  the  present  choir.  Some 
of  this  was  destroyed  at  a  later  period.  The  sac- 
risty and  adjoining  room  were  also  built.  Then, 
about  1220,  the  south  transept  was  begun,  then  the 
nave,  north  transept  and  west  front,  with  the  two 
towers. 

Walter  de  Langton  (1296-1321)  began  the  Lady- 
Chapel;  and  while  this  was  being  built  the  Early 
English  presbytery  was  pulled  down  and  rebuilt  in 
the  Decorated  style,  to  be  uniform  with  the  Lady- 
Chapel.  The  old  clerestory  of  the  choir  was  also 
rebuilt  in  the  same  style.  Walter  de  Langton  also 
built  the  Bishop's  Palace,  which  was  destroyed  in 
1643,  bridged  the  Cathedral  Pool,  and  erected  a 
splendid  shrine  to  St.  Chad,  which  cost  £2,000. 
This  stood  behind  the  high  altar  in  the  eastern  bay 
of  the  retro-choir,  with  an  altar  to  this  saint  on 
its  west. 

St.  Chad,  or  Ceadda  (669-672),  was  the  patron 
saint  of  Lichfield,  who,  when  Bishop  of  Mercia, 
chose  Lichfield  as  his  seat  and  thus  founded  the 
diocese ;  and  he  built  a  small  church  near  St.  Chad's 
Well.  His  service  was  short  and  he  died  in  672. 

Miracles  were  immediately  performed  at  his 
shrine  in  Stowe  Church;  but  his  remains  were  re- 
moved to  the  Cathedral.  St.  Chad's  Head  was 
placed  in  a  separate  chapel  (see  page  213). 

When  Henry  VIII.  despoiled  the  shrine  he  found 
a  great  horde  of  treasures — jewels,  golden  and  silver 
crosses,  chalices,  maces,  and  copes,  and  other  vest- 


204  LICHFIELD 

ments  had  accumulated  in  great  number.  In  the 
Fourteenth  Century  a  document  mentions  "  the  head 
of  Blessed  Chad,  in  a  certain  painted  wooden  case ; 
also  an  arm  of  Blessed  Chad ;  also  bones  of  the 
said  saint  in  a  certain  portable  shrine." 

Lichfield  suffered  greatly  during  the  Civil  Wars. 
The  Royalists  hoisted  the  king's  flag  on  the  central 
steeple  and  defied  the  Roundheads  led  by  Lord 
Brooke.  The  Cathedral  was  besieged  in  March, 
1643 ;  and  on  the  second  day  of  that  month,  which 
happened  to  be  St.  Chad's  Day,  Lord  Brooke  was 
killed  by  a  shot  fired  by  a  son  of  Sir  Richard  Dyott, 
called  "  Dumb  Dyott/'  because  he  was  deaf  and 
dumb.  This  was  regarded  as  a  miracle.  A  con- 
temporary letter  notes: 

"  We  have  had  the  honour  in  these  parts  to  bring  my 
Lord  Brooke  to  a  quiet  condition.  That  enemy  of  our 
Church  (March  2)  was  slain  in  his  quarrel  against  our 
Church,  by  the  God  of  our  Church,  with  a  shot  out  of  the 
Cathedral,  by  a  bullet  made  of  Church  lead,  through  the 
mouth  which  reviled  our  Church;  and  (if  this  be  worth 
your  reading)  this  Cathedral  was  dedicated  to  the  memory 
of  an  old  Saxon  holy  man  (called  Ceadda,  commonly 
Chad)  ;  the  blow  of  death  came  from  St.  Chad's  Church 
upon  St.  Chad's  Day." 

The  Cathedral  remained  in  a  ruinous  condition 
for  a  year  or  more  after  the  Restoration.  Then 
Bishop  Hackett  (1661-1671)  went  to  work  to  clear 
away  the  rubbish  and  make  repairs.  In  eight  years' 
time  the  Cathedral  was  ready  for  a  new  dedi- 
cation. 

Perpendicular  tracery  was  inserted  in  some  of  the 
windows  in  the  Fifteenth  Century,  when  the  Cathe- 
dral was  at  the  height  of  its  beauty. 

The  present  West  Front  is  a  restoration  of  the 
beautiful  work  of  the  Middle  Ages. 


LICHFIELD  205 

In  1820  the  west  front  was  completely  covered 
with  cement  which  concealed  all  its  beauty  until 
1877,  when  the  authorities  began  to  remove  it. 
Only  five  of  the  original  statues  remained  and  it 
was  decided  to  fill  all  the  113  niches.  Tradition 
said  the  long  row  of  figures  over  the  doors  repre- 
sented the  Saxon  and  English  kings  with  St.  Chad 
in  the  centre ;  but  the  others  were  unknown.  They 
are  now  as  follows: 

"  The  two  rows  on  the  northern  tower  to  the  north  of 
the  great  west  window:  higher  row,  St.  Editha,  David,  St. 
Helena,  Solomon,  St.  Gabriel,  Zechariah,  Nahum,  Amos, 
Jeremiah;  lower  row,  Dean  Bickersteth,  St.  Mark,  Queen 
Victoria,  St.  Luke,  St.  Uriel,  Malachi,  Habakkuk,  Obadiah, 
Daniel  (Jeremiah  just  above  Daniel  by  the  window). 

"  The  two  rows  on  the  southern  tower  to  the  south  of  the 
great  west  window :  higher  row,  Isaiah,  Hosea,  Jonah, 
Zephaniah,  St.  Michael,  Bishop  Racket,  Bishop  Lonsdale, 
Bishop  Selwyn ;  lower  row,  Ezekiel,  Joel,  Micah,  Haggai, 
St.  Raphael,  Bishop  Clinton,  Bishop  Patteshall,  Bishop 
Langton. 

"  Next  is  the  long  row  of  kings  with  St.  Chad  in  the 
centre,  stretching  right  across  the  cathedral:  William  the 
Conqueror,  William  Rufus,  Henry  I.,  Stephen,  Henry  II., 
Richard  I.,  John,  Henry  III.,  Edward  I.,  Edward  II. ,  Ed- 
ward III.,  Richard  II.,  St.  Chad,  Penda,  Wilphere,  Ethelred, 
Offa,  Egbert,  Ethelwolf,  Ethelbert,  Ethelred,  Alfred,  Ed- 
gar, Canute,  Edward  the  Confessor. 

"  Lowest  row,  broken  three  times  by  the  doors :  St. 
Cyprian,  St.  Bartholomew,  St.  Simon,  St.  James  the  Less, 
St.  Thomas  (northern  door),  St.  Philip,  St.  Andrew  (cen- 
tral door),  St.  Paul,  St.  Matthew  (southern  door),  St. 
James  the  Greater,  St.  Jude,  St.  Stephen,  St.  Clement,  St. 
Werburga." 

The  Duke  of  York  (James  II.)  gave  the  money 
for  the  tracery  of  the  large  West  Window  after 
the  -original  had  been  destroyed  during  the  Civil 
Wars.  This  was  removed  in  1869,  for  another  more 


206  LICHFIELD 

in  sympathy  with  the  style  of  the  Fourteenth  Cen- 
tury. 

The  West  Door  is  one  of  the  most  beautiful  in 
England,  taking  rank  with  the  Prior's  Door  of 
Lincoln  Cathedral.  The  porch  is  recessed  and  the 
outer  arch,  cusped.  Within,  a  central  support  rises 
to  form  two  arches.  The  whole  is  richly  carved. 
Above  the  central  pillar  is  a  bas-relief  representing 
Christ  in  Glory,  with  angels  by  his  side.  On  the 
central  column  stands  a  figure  of  the  Virgin  and 
Child,  and  on  either  side  of  the  door  beneath  cano- 
pies are  Mary  Magdalene  and  St.  John  the  Evange- 
list (north),  and  Mary,  wife  of  Cleophas,  and  St. 
Peter  (south). 

What  the  original  statues  were  is  not  known. 
Most  of  the  ironwork  on  the  doors  is  supposed  to 
be  original. 

The  two  side  doors  are  deeply  recessed.  The 
figures  in  the  northern  doorway  are  of  princes  and 
princesses  who  promoted  Christianity  in  England; 
and  in  the  southern,  the  chief  missionaries.  The 
gable  and  towers  are  also  adorned  with  statues  of 
Biblical  fame. 

The  nave  is  ornamented  and  strengthened  by 
buttresses  and  flying-buttresses.  In  the  north 
transept  we  find  a  handsome  North  Doorway,  a 
splendid  specimen  of  Early  English  with  traces  of 
the  Norman.  It  is  deeply  recessed  and  revealing 
a  double  arch  carved  with  foliage.  The  mouldings 
are  also  carved.  The  outer  one  contains  bas-reliefs 
showing  the  genealogy  of  Christ,  beginning  with 
Jesse  and  ending  with  the  Virgin  and  Child.  On 
the  right  side,  opposite  Jesse,  is  St.  Chad  baptizing 
the  sons  of  King  Wulphere,  and  above  are  the 
Apostles.  The  architrave  is  surmounted  by  a 


LICHFIELD  207 

weather  moulding  in  the  form  of  a  gable  on  the  top 
of  which  is  a  cross.  The  pillars  on  each  side  of  the 
doorway  have  finely  carved  capitals  and  dog-tooth 
ornamentation.  The  graceful  centre  pillar  consists 
of  four  slender  shafts  with  carved  capitals.  Next 
comes  the  octagonal  Chapter-House ;  then  the  choir 
and  presbytery;  and  then  the  Lady-Chapel,  entirely 
restored  and  with  new  saints  in  the  niches.  On  the 
south  side  of  the  Lady-Chapel  are  mortuary  chapels. 

The  south  side  shows  the  buttresses  of  the  choir ; 
then  the  turrets  of  the  sacristy  with  their  crocketed 
pinnacles;  and  then  the  South  Transept,  the  gable 
of  which  contains  a  beautiful  rose  window.  The 
South  Door,  much  restored,  resembles  the  northern 
one,  only  it  is  not  so  fine.  The  heavy  buttresses 
on  this  side  are  Wyatt's.  Now  we  have  again 
come  to  the  Jesus  tower  (south-west),  in  which 
the  ten  bells  are  hung. 

Entering  by  the  west  door,  the  beauty  of  the  in- 
terior bursts  upon  us.  We  have  an  unbroken  vista 
and  the  Cathedral  therefore  impresses  us  as  im- 
mensely long.  The  beautiful  arches  of  the  roof 
carry  the  eye  straight  down  to  the  windows  of  the 
Lady-Chapel. 

The  Nave  is  transitional  from  Early  English  to 
Decorated  and  is  dated  by  various  authorities  from 
1250  to  1280. 

The  large  piers  are  composed  of  clustered  shafts 
with  richly  carved  capitals  of  foliage.  From  these 
spring  mouldings.  The  top  of  each  arch  touches 
the  string-course,  and  then  comes  the  triforium, 
so  beautiful  here  with  its  row  of  double  arches, 
each  one  sub-divided  into  two  lights,  above  which 
is  geometrical  tracery.  Dog-tooth  ornament  deco- 
rates the  mouldings  of  these  triforium  arches,  and 


208  LICHFIELD 

also  the  string-course  that  separates  the  triforium 
from  the  clerestory.  The  clerestory  windows  are 
curious :  spherical  triangles  enclosing  three  circles 
with  quatrefoil  cusps.  Dog-tooth  ornamentation 
runs  around  the  windows.  A  large  circle  with 
five  cusps  ornaments  the  spandrels  of  most  of  the 
pier-arches  across  which  the  vault  shaft  passes. 
At  the  intersection  of  the  various  ribs  (five  ribs) 
are  finely  carved  bosses.  Much  of  the  effect  is 
obtained  from  the  size  of  the  triforium. 

The  glass  in  the  big  west  window  dates  from 
1869,  a  memorial  to  Canon  Hutchinson,  who  was 
a  zealous  worker  for  the  Cathedral's  restoration,  by 
Sir  Gilbert  Scott. 

In  the  north  aisle  of  the  nave  we  note  the  tablet 
placed  there  by  Ann  Seward  to  the  memory  of  her 
father,  Canon  Seward,  his  wife  and  daughter,  upon 
which  Sir  Walter  Scott  added  lines  to  the  memory 
of  the  poetess.  There  is  also  a  neighbouring  tablet 
to  Lady  Mary  Wortley  Montagu,  who  was  born 
in  Lichfield. 

In  the  north  transept  we  find  a  curious  monu- 
ment to  Dean  Hey  wood  (died  1492)  showing  the 
skeleton  of  this  worthy.  The  upper  part  (which 
represented  him  in  full  canonical  costume)  has  gone. 
Similar  monuments  are  in  Exeter  and  Lincoln.  In 
the  South  Transept  there  are  busts  and  memorials 
to  Dr.  Samuel  Johnson,  a  native  of  Lichfield  (died 
1784),  and  to  David  Garrick  (died  1779),  an  early 
resident  of  Lichfield.  In  the  first  bay  of  the  aisle, 
there  is  a  monument  to  the  officers  and  men  of  the 
8oth  Regiment  (Staffordshire  Volunteers),  over 
which  hang  colours  taken  from  the  Sikhs.  At  the 
south  end  we  note  a  fine  altar  to  one  of  Nelson's 
captains,  Admiral  Sir  William  Parker  (died  1866). 


LICHFIELD  209 

Note  the  big  south  window  (Perpendicular)  in 
which  there  is  some  Herkenrode  glass  (see  page 
212). 

There  is  another  memorial  window  in  the  south 
aisle  of  the  nave  to  the  officers  of  the  64th  (2d  Staf- 
fordshire Regiment)  who  fell  in  the  Indian  Mutiny. 

The  Transepts,  as  we  have  seen,  were  built  be- 
fore the  nave.  Each  consists  of  three  bays  with 
eastern  aisles.  Most  of  the  windows  are  Perpen- 
dicular. 

"At  the  south  end  was  probably  a  large  five-light  Early 
English  window,  surmounted  by  a  rose  window.  The  rose 
window  still  remains,  but,  being  above  the  present  groining, 
cannot  be  seen  from  inside  the  cathedral ;  the  five  lights  are 
replaced  by  a  nine-light  obtuse-headed  window,  which  seems 
much  too. large  for  the  transept;  and  this  effect  is  increased 
by  the  extreme  whiteness  and  transparency  of  its  glass.  At 
the  north  end,  the  five-light  window  is  surmounted  with 
three  small  lights,  but  these  last  again  are  hidden  in  the 
roof."— (A.  B.  C.) 

Now  we  come  to  the  Choir,  which,  including  the 
presbytery  and  retro-choir,  has  eight  bays.  It  has 
no  triforium. 

The  splays  of  the  windows  are  beautifully  deco- 
rated with  quatrefoil  ornamentation.  There  is  only 
one  of  the  original  Decorated  windows  (east  on 
south  side).  The  others  are  Perpendicular. 

"  The  vaulting  is  very  much  the  same  as  in  the  nave,  but 
the  vaulting-shafts  divide  into  seven  instead  of  five  ribs; 
the  bosses,  as  everywhere  else  in  the  cathedral,  are  very 
deeply  and  richly  carved. 

"  On  the  four  eastern  sets  of  piers  long  slender  shafts 
run  up  from  the  base  of  the  piers  in  the  same  way  as  in 
the  nave,  and  similarly  the  spandrels  are  ornamented 
with  foliated  circles,  of  which  nearly  all  trace  had  disap- 
peared before  the  recent  restoration.  This,  however,  is  not 
the  arrangement  on  the  three  western  pairs.  It  was  found 


210  LICHFIELD 

here  that  these  shafts  did  not  reach  the  ground ;  and  so  Sir 
Gilbert  Scott,  having  discovered  a  portion  of  the  sculptured 
wing  of  an  angel  just  above  the  dean's  present  stall,  decided 
upon  finishing  the  shafts  with  corbels  in  the  form  of 
angels  occupied  in  minstrelsy.  Above  each  of  these  angels 
— which  were  innovations — he  placed,  under  richly  crocketed 
canopies  and  standing  on  very  finely-carved  brackets,  the 
figures  of  six  saints." — (A.  B.  C.) 

Architects  love  to  study  the  merging  of  the  two 
styles  in  this  part  of  the  Cathedral,  and  one  of  the 
best  illustrations  is  the  entrance  to  the  vestibule  of 
the  Chapter-House.  The  arch  at  the  west  end  of 
the  north-choir-aisle  is  very  old  and  interesting  and 
so  is  the  arcading  in  the  aisles. 

"  In  the  first  three  western  bays  in  both  aisles  the  large 
arcading,  with  its  plain  trefoiled  arches,  is  clearly  Early 
English.  The  arcading  in  the  other  bays  is  equally  clearly 
of  the  Decorated  period,  and  is  considerably  smaller.  In 
the  four  eastern  bays  in  each  aisle  the  arches  go  right  up 
to  the  course  which  forms  the  top  of  the  arcading,  and 
the  triangular  spandrels  thus  formed  are  ornamented  each 
with  a  curious  little  head,  having  queer  headgear;  the  rest 
of  the  spandrel  is  carved  with  foliage,  and  in  the  plates  of 
the  foliated  arches  are  quaint  animals.  The  arcading  in 
the  remaining  bay  is  similar,  but  angels'  heads  with  wings 
take  up  the  whole  spandrel.  Some  of  the  arcading,  notably 
that  in  the  three  easterly  bays  of  the  south  aisle,  is  unre- 
stored.  The  inferiority  of  the  modern  work  in  the  next 
bay  is  only  too  patent." — (A.  B.  C.) 

The  window  over  the  tomb  of  Bishop  Hackett  in 
the  South-choir-aisle  is  adorned  by  lovely  foliage. 
Here,  too,  we  find  the  very  interesting  Minstrels' 
Gallery.  It  was  probably  placed  here  in  the  Fif- 
teenth Century  because  the  arcading  has  been  cut 
away  to  make  room  for  it.  The  little  gallery  rests 
upon  fan-shaped  vaulting.  As  it  stands  directly 
in  front  of  the  chapel  of  the  Head  of  St.  Chad,  it 
may  have  been  used  for  the  purpose  of  exhibiting 


LICHFIELD  211 

this  relic  to  the  devout  in  the  aisle  below.  (See  page 
213.)  It  is  similar  in  style  to  the  minstrel  gal- 
lery of  the  Mediaeval  halls :  hence  its  name.  A 
staircase  in  the  wall  leads  to  the  gallery. 

The  Choir-screen,  of  ornamental  metal-work,  de- 
signed by  Sir  Gilbert  Scott,  is  similar  to  those  of 
Salisbury,  Hereford  and  Worcester.  The  Choir- 
stalls,  Bishop's  Throne  and  elaborate  Reredos  are 
all  modern.  The  south-choir-aisle  contains  a  number 
of  interesting  monuments.  There  is  a  monument  to 
"  Hodson  of  Hodson's  Horse,"  killed  in  the  In- 
dian Mutiny.  Under  the  cross  is  the  King  of  Delhi 
surrendering  his  sword  to  Major  Hodson,  with  fig- 
ures of  Justice,  Fortitude,  Temperance  and  Mercy 
and  statuettes  of  Joshua,  David,  St.  Thomas  of 
India  and  St.  George  of  England.  Here  is  also  the 
monument  of  Bishop  Langton  (died  1296)  with 
mutilated  effigy.  Opposite  is  the  curious  monument 
to  Sir  John  Stanley  of  Pipe,  the  effigy  represent- 
ing the  knight  naked  to  the  waist,  and  the  legs  in 
armour.  It  seems  that  Captain  Stanley  had  been 
excommunicated  for  some  offence,  and,  after  atone- 
ment, had  been  allowed  burial  here  on  condition 
that  evidence  of  his  punishment  should  appear  on 
his  effigy.  The  most  famous  monument  of  all, 
however,  is  that  of  The  Sleeping  Children,  by  Sir 
Francis  Chantrey  in  1817.  It  established  his  fame 
and  is  an  early  example  of  the  natural  style  just 
coming  into  favour.  It  represents  two  young 
daughters  of  William  Robinson,  Prebendary  of  the 
Cathedral,  sleeping  in  each  other's  arms. 

We  must  notice  in  the  north-choir-aisle  one  win- 
dow in  which  King  David  is  teaching  the  singers 
of  the  House  of  God.  The  glass  is  old  Flemish. 

Now  we  have  the  Lady-Chapel,  the  gem  of  the 


212  LICHFIELD 

whole  Cathedral,  rendered  exceptionally  beautiful 
because  of  the  old  glass  in  the  windows. 

"  In  shape  it  forms  a  symmetrical  extension,  both  in 
height  and  width,  to  the  choir,  but  without  aisles ;  and  it  has 
an  octagonal  apse — the  only  example,  it  is  said,  of  such  a 
termination  in  the  country.  It  is  lighted  by  nine  high 
windows,  with  Decorated  tracery.  This  tracery  has  re- 
cently been  restored  in  the  style  of  that  in  the  three  end 
windows ;  until  this  was  done  most  of  the  windows  con- 
tained Perpendicular  tracery. 

"  The  windows  rest  on  an  arcade  of  very  beautiful  de- 
sign. The  arcade  may  be  said  to  consist  of  a  series  of 
small  decorated  canopies,  supported  by  shafts  with  carved 
capitals,  and  separated  by  ornamented  buttresses.  The 
canopies,  which  bow  forward,  have  trefoil  ogee  arches,  sur- 
mounted with  crockets  and  finials.  Above  the  arcade  is  a 
similar  embattled  parapet  to  that  in  the  choir,  with  a  simi- 
lar passage  round  the  chapel  behind  it. 

"The  vaulting  of  the  roof  is  like  that  in  the  choir;  the 
same  number  of  ribs  diverging  from  the  slender  shafts 
which  run  right  down  to  the  bends  of  the  arcade.  Half- 
way up  these  shafts  are  niches,  the  brackets  and  canopies 
to  which  are  beautifully  carved.  These  are  old,  but  until 
recently  were  empty,  and  no  authentic  record  remained  as 
to  what  were  the  characters  represented." — (A.  B.  C.) 

.  In  1895  ten  virgin  saints  and  martyrs,  by  C.  E. 
Kempe,  were  placed  here. 

Of  course,  all  the  glass  was  crashed  during  the 
siege  of  Lichfield;  and,  therefore,  the  windows  are 
filled  with  other  than  the  original.  The  seven  most 
eastern  windows  contain  what  is  called  the  Her- 
kenrode  glass,  originally  in  the  Abbey  of  Herken- 
rode  near  Liege.  The  designs  are  supposed  to  be  by 
Lambert  Lombard  of  the  Sixteenth  Century.  Two  of 
the  windows  depict  founders  and  benefactors  of  the 
abbey,  and  the  other  five,  scenes  in  the  life  of  Christ. 
The  Herkenrode  glass  (340  pieces)  was  bought  by 


Li CH FIELD:    FROM   EAST  WINDOW 


w 


B 

C/3 

w 

w 
u 


LICHFIELD  213 

Sir  Brooke  Boothby  in  Belgium  in  1802,  for  £200, 
now  valued  at  £15,000.  What  remained  was  used 
to  fill  other  windows  in  the  Cathedral.  On  the 
south  side  of  the  Lady-Chapel  are  three  "  Mortuary 
Chapels,"  with  groined  roofs.  In  the  central  one 
lies  the  effigy  of  Bishop  Selwyn  (buried  outside), 
Bishop  of  New  Zealand,  who  organized  the  church 
in  that  far-away  country.  This  accounts  for  the 
frescoes  showing  the  Maoris.  The  two  end  win- 
dows are  also  old  glass  supposed  to  have  come 
from  the  Low  Countries.  One  is  a  -symbolic  picture 
of  Baptism;  the  other,  the  legendary  Death  of  the 
Virgin. 

We  have  yet  to  examine  the  Sacristy  of  the  Chap- 
ter-House. The  sacristy  is  on  the  south  side  (Early 
English).  Its  upper  floor  was  the  Chapel  of  St. 
Chad,  which,  as  we  have  seen,  was  entered  from  the 
minstrels'  gallery  (see  page  211).  The  restored 
chapel  was  re-dedicated  on  St.  Chad's  Day  (March 
2),  1897. 

"  The  Chapel  of  St.  Chad,  first  Bishop  of  Lichfield,  and, 
with  the  Blessed  Virgin  Mary,  patron  of  our  Cathedral 
Church,  was  destroyed  in  all  probability  when  the  rest  of 
the  Cathedral  was  laid  in  ruins  in  1643,  the  siege  beginning 
on  St.  Chad's  Day,  March  2nd  of  that  year.  Little  was 
left :  the  four  walls  remained  in  a  broken  condition,  with 
the  vaulting-shafts  and  caps  for  the  springers  of  the  stone 
groining,  and  the  wall-ribs,  to  mark  its  original  lines;  also 
the  very  beautiful  Early  English  windows — twelve  lancets 
in  groups  of  three — which,  singularly  enough,  were  little 
injured.  Externally  these  are  very  plain,  but  internally  they 
are  full  of  interest,  and  there  is  nothing  better  of  the  kind 
in  the  Cathedral.  The  site  of  the  old  altar  is  clearly 
marked ;  indeed,  a  small  portion  of  it  has  been  preserved. 
The  piscina  also  still  remains.  The  aumbry  remains  in 
which  antiquarians  suppose  that  St.  Chad's  relics  were 
preserved." — (L.) 


214  LICHFIELD 

The  Chapter-House  and  the  vestibule  leading  to 
it  were  built  about  the  middle  of  the  Thirteenth 
Century  (Early  English).  The  vestibule  contains 
beautiful  arcading;  the  capitals  of  the  pillars  are 
finely  carved.  The  entrance  door  into  the  Chapter- 
House  is  very  handsome,  with  deeply  cut  mouldings, 
and  capitals  of  the  grouped  shafts  richly  carved  with 
leaves.  Dog-tooth  and  trefoils  are  also  used  as 
ornamentation.  The  Chapter-House  is  octagonal. 
The  central  pillar,  composed  of  clustered  shafts  with 
richly  carved  capitals  of  foliage,  carries  the  eye 
upward,  where  the  ribs  spread  out  beautifully  over 
the  roof  and  bosses  mark  their  intersection.  The 
windows  are  Early  English,  of  two  lights.  Below 
them  runs  a  fine  arcading. 


CHESTER 

DEDICATION  :  CHRIST  AND  THE  BLESSED  VIRGIN.    ORIGINALLY 

THE  CHURCH  OF  A  BENEDICTINE  ABBEY. 
SPECIAL  FEATURES  :  CHOIR  ;  CHOIR-STALLS  ;  CHAPTER-HOUSE. 

CHESTER  was  the  church  of  the  Benedictine  Abbey 
of  St.  Werburgh  when  Henry  VIII.  founded  the 
See  after  the  dissolution  of  the  monasteries.  It  had 
been  originally  an  establishment  of  secular  canons. 
The  patron  saint,  St.  Werburgh,  was  a  niece  of  St. 
Etheldreda  of  Ely;  and  she  took  the  veil  at  Ely, 
where  she  eventually  became  abbess.  St.  Werburgh 
was  buried  at  Hanbury;  but  when  the  Danes  were 
ravaging  Mercia,  the  monks  of  Hanbury  fled  with 
the  relics  of  St.  Werburgh  to  Chester,  where  they 
were  richly  enshrined  in  the  old  church  of  St.  Peter 
and  St.  Paul.  This  church  was  rebuilt  in  the  Tenth 
Century;  and  when  a  new  foundation  was  made  in 
1095  by  Hugh  Lupus,  Earl  of  Chester,  at  the  desire 
of  St.  Anselm,  the  church  was  rebuilt,  the  canons 
replaced  by  Benedictine  monks  and  the  house  called 
the  Abbey  of  St.  Werburgh. 

Rebuilding  was  again  necessary  in  1194  and  was 
continued  for  centuries.  The  eastern  portion  of 
the  church  is  Early  English,  the  rest  is  Decorated 
with  alterations  and  additions  in  the  Perpendicular 
style. 

Ancient  and  royal  Chester  is  one  of  the  most 
picturesque  cities  in  England.  It  was  so  important 
in  Roman  times  that  it  was  called  the  "  City  of 
Legions."  It  was  also  a  stronghold  of  Saxons  and 
Danes.  From  the  Norman  Conquest  until  the 
215 


216  CHESTER 

reign  of  Henry  III.  the  Earls  of  Chester  had  their 
own  courts  and  parliaments  at  Chester.  Since 
Henry  III.  bestowed  the  title  of  Earl  of  Chester 
upon  his  oldest  son,  the  heir  to  the  throne  has 
always  held  the  earldom.  The  old  church  did  not 
become  a  cathedral  until  1541. 

Chester  Cathedral,  being  built  of  soft  red  sand- 
stone, suffered  from  the  weather.  Restoration  was 
a  necessity.  Consequently  the  exterior  is  almost 
exclusively  of  the  Nineteenth  Century.  It  is  hand- 
some and  effective,  though,  unfortunately,  owing  to 
the  situation,  somewhat  below  the  level  of  the 
street,  and  the  crowding  of  buildings,  a  good  view 
of  the  Cathedral  is  hard  to  obtain. 

At  one  time  it  was  one  of  the  most  beautiful, 
as  well  as  the  richest,  in  England.  It  was  terribly 
defaced  during  the  Civil  War,  when  the  Puritans 
used  it  for  a  stable  and  broke  the  windows.  Sub- 
sequent repairs  and  restorations  have  greatly  trans- 
formed it. 

One  of  the  curious  features  of  the  Cathedral  is 
the  south  transept.  It  was  claimed  as  the  Parish 
church  of  St.  Oswald  until  1881.  Oswald  (604- 
642),  be  it  remembered,  was  the  son  of  King  Ethel- 
frid,  and  became  King  of  Northumbria.  He  was 
a  convert  to  Christianity,  which  he  introduced 
among  the  Anglo-Saxons.  Killed  by  Penda,  the 
King  of  Mercia,  he  was  canonised  by  the  Roman 
Catholic  Church. 

"  On  approaching  the  cathedral  on  the  south  side,  the 
transept,  or  church  of  St.  Oswald,  is  a  remarkable  feature. 
Projecting  to  nearly  the  same  length  as  the  nave,  with  its 
lofty  clerestory  and  great  south  window,  it  attracts  atten- 
tion as  well  by  its  own  importance  as  by  the  unusual 
ground-plan  which  it  gives  to  the  entire  building."— 
(R.  J.  K.) 


CHESTER  217 

Let  us  look  at  the  chief  features  of  the  exterior: 

"  The  WEST  FRONT  consists  of  an  eight-light  canopied 
Perpendicular  window,  with  a  band  of  elaborate  tracery 
succeeded  by  ordinary  tracery  of  the  period  in  the  head, 
set  between  two  banded  octagonal  turrets,  which  are  bat- 
tlemented.  The  west  door  is  peculiar;  it  consists  of  an 
arch  under  a  square  head,  with  foliated  spandrels  and  a 
range  of  angels  in  the  mouldings,  deeply  recessed  under  a 
larger  arch  with  another  square  head.  On  each  side  are 
four  crocketed  niches,  with  pedestals  denuded  of  their 
statues.  To  the  west  is  a  four-light  canopied  window, 
under  a  panelled  band  and  flanked  by  a  rich  but  empty 
niche  on  either  side. 

"  The  door  of  the  SOUTH  PORCH  is  Tudor  with  two-light, 
square-headed  windows  and  a  canopied  niche,  and  an  in- 
tervening rich  band.  The  windows  of  the  aisles  and 
clerestory  of  the  nave  are  Perpendicular;  the  parapet  is 
shallow.  The  SOUTH  TRANSEPT,  as  long  as  the  choir  and 
as  broad  as  the  nave,  has  a  Perpendicular  clerestory  and 
south  windows,  the  former  of  four  lights  and  with  two 
transoms.  The  windows  of  the  aisle  are  Late  Decorated 
and  of  four  lights  separated  by  buttresses.  This  descrip- 
tion applies  to  the  south  side  of  the  choir,  but  the  aisles  are 
extended  within  one  bay  of  the  east  end  of  the  Lady- 
chapel,  which  has  Perpendicular  windows ;  the  great  east 
window  is  of  the  same  date.  Traces  of  Early  English 
architecture  appear  in  the  north  side  of  the  choir  and 
Chapter-house.  The  north  window  of  the  transept  and 
windows  of  the  nave  are  Perpendicular." — (Wai.) 

We  can  enter,  as  we  prefer,  by  the  west  door,  or 
the  south  porch.  The  Nave  is  uninteresting.  It 
consists  of  six  bays,  the  piers  are  groups  of  attached 
shafts  terminating  in  foliage  capitals.  The  roof  is 
modern. 

Decorated  windows  light  the  South  aisle.  The 
North  aisle  contains  some  old  Norman  work. 
Here  we  find  an  ancient  Italian  font,  presented  in 
1885,  and  an  old  piece  of  tapestry  that  has  been  in 
the  Cathedral  since  1668. 


218  CHESTER 

The  North  transept  is  small,  owing  to  the  mo- 
nastic buildings  on  this  side.  Here  we  find  Norman 
work.  Some  of  the  windows  exhibit  Perpendicular 
tracery.  The  roof  is  Perpendicular. 

Until  1881  the  South  Transept  was,  as  we  have 
said,  the  Parish  Church  of  St.  Oswald.  It  has 
Decorated  windows.  Perpendicular  windows  light 
the  west  aisle. 

We  now  enter  the  Choir.  The  screen  is  modern 
and  by  Sir  G.  Scott. 

"The  choir  is  remarkable  for  the  great  beauty  of  the 
wood-work  which  it  contains,  as  well  as  for  its  architectural 
merits.  The  style  is  that  of  the  transition  between  the 
Early  English  and  Decorated.  The  north  side  differs  from 
the  south,  especially  in  regard  to  the  mouldings.  The  north 
side  is  earlier  than  the  south,  the  building  having  been  com- 
menced at  the  east  end  of  that  side.  The  mouldings  on 
the  north  are  bold  rounds,  while  those  on  the  south  are 
shallow  and  small  hollows.  The  triforium  has  a  series  of 
elaborately-carved  cusped  arches,  and  the  clerestory  win- 
dows are  light  and  graceful  with  geometrical  tracery.  The 
vault  is  modern,  constructed  of  good  English  oak.  At  the 
east  there  are  figures  of  the  sixteen  prophets  and  at  the 
west  are  angels  playing  musical  instruments.  There  are 
some  curious  grotesque  corbels,  from  which  the  vaulting 
shafts  spring. 

"  The  carving  of  the  CHOIR  STALLS  is  equal,  if  not  superior, 
to  anything  in  England,  These  are  Fourteenth  Century 
work  and  rival  the  noble  stalls  of  Amiens.  They  have  been 
restored  with  much  accuracy  and  taste.  The  carving  of  the 
dean's  stall  should  be  noticed,  as  it  represents  the  Jesse 
tree,  surmounted  by  the  Coronation  of  the  Virgin.  That 
representing  Jacob's  Dream  is  modern.  The  misereres  are 
extremely  interesting  and  curious  and  full  of  religious  in- 
struction, though  often  conveyed  in  the  way  of  sarcastic 
reproof.  There  are  forty-eight,  of  which  three  are  mod- 
ern. Some  of  the  most  curious  are:  a  pelican  feeding  her 
young ;  St.  Werburgh  and  the  stolen  goose ;  a  wife  beating 
her  husband;  the  strategy  of  the  fox;  stag  hunt;  Richard 
I.  pulling  out  the  heart  of  a  lion;  a  fox  in  the  garb  of  a 


in 

Id 


ftS 

5 
U 


c/a 

w 

ffi 
U 


OS 

c 
U 


ffi 
U 


CHESTER  219 

monk  presenting  a  gift  to  a  nun;  various  wild  men; 
wrestlers;  unicorn  resting  its  head  on  a  virgin's  knee,  and 
numerous  grotesques." — (P.  H.  D.) 

The  Altar  is  modern  and  is  made  of  oak  of  Ba- 
shan,  olive-wood  from  the  Mount  of  Olives  and 
the  cedar  of  Lebanon.  The  Reredos,  a  mosaic  of 
the  Last  Supper,  the  Pulpit  and  the  Bishop's 
Throne  are  all  modern. 

For  many  years  the  Shrine  of  St.  Werburgh 
was  used  for  the  latter.  We  pause  to  look  at  this 
interesting  piece  of  Fourteenth  Century  work,  re- 
membering how  many  eyes  of  Mediaeval  pilgrims 
have  gazed  with  reverence  upon  it. 

"At  the  end  of  the  stalls  on  the  south  side  is  the 
Bishop's  Throne.  This  has  been  formed  from  the  base  of 
the  shrine  of  St.  Werburgh,  which  seems  to  have  served  its 
present  purpose  since  the  foundation  of  the  See  in  the  Six- 
teenth Century.  It  has,  however,  so  greatly  altered  during 
the  late  '  restoration,'  that  it  is  difficult  to  ascertain  the 
ancient  arrangement.  The  lower  part,  with  niches  for 
figures,  is  ancient.  The  part  resting  on  this,  as  high  as 
the  small  gilt  figures,  is  modern.  The  figures  themselves 
are  old,  and  before  the  alteration  they  rested  on  the  an- 
cient base.  The  pinnacles  and  all  the  upper  portion  are 
modern.  The  ancient  portions  are  early  Decorated  work  of 
the  Thirteenth  Century.  The  niches  in  front  and  at  the 
sides  of  the  base  are  lined  with  a  small  arcade  and  vaulted. 
Above  them  are  foliaged  canopies.  The  gilt  figures  hold 
scrolls,  once  perhaps  bearing  names.  They  are  conjec- 
tured to  represent  kings  and  queens  of  Mercia,  connected 
either  directly  or  collaterally  with  St.  Werburgh.  It  is 
possible  that  when  the  shrine  itself  was  perfect,  the  lower 
part,  with  niches,  formed  a  portion  of  the  base,  whilst  the 
small  figures  may  have  been  a  canopy  supported  by 
marble  shafts.  Under  this  canopy  and  on  the  base  the 
feretory  or  actual  shrine,  with  the  relics,  may  have  rested. 
This,  however,  is  but  conjecture,  since  no  drawing  or 
description  exists  of  the  shrine  before  the  Reformation." — 
(R.  J.  K.) 


220  CHESTER 

The  North  aisle  of  the  choir  will  detain  the 
student  because  there  is  much  Norman  work  here. 
Here  can  also  be  traced  the  termination  of  the  old 
Norman  apse.  The  arch  in  the  east  wall  of  the 
transept  is  also  Norman,  and  early,  too.  The  door- 
way from  the  north  aisle  is  Fourteenth  Century 
work.  The  apse  was  rebuilt  in  the  Early  English 
period  and  made  to  end  in  a  square.  In  the  Perpen- 
dicular period  it  was  extended  further.  Note  the 
gates  of  old  Spanish  workmanship  across  both 
aisles.  They  date  from  1558. 

At  the  end  stands  the  Lady-Chapel. 

"  The  Lady-Chapel  is  of  Early  English  design,  and  was 
built  about  1266,  previous  to  the  present  choir.  Many 
alterations  were  made  subsequently,  including  the  removal 
of  the  ancient  steep  and  lofty  roof  and  the  substitution  of 
a  flat  roof  and  the  insertion  of  Perpendicular  windows. 
Most  of  these  additions  have  been  removed  and  the  Early 
English  character  restored.  The  east  window  of  five  lights 
was  designed  by  Scott,  and  the  original  form  of  the  roof 
has  been  restored.  The  vault,  which  is  original  Early  Eng- 
lish, has  a  boss  representing  the  murder  of  Thomas  a 
Becket.  The  mosaics  were  designed  by  Sir  A.  Blomfield. 
Here  the  consistory  court  was  held  at  the  time  of  the 
Reformation,  and  George  Marsh,  the  Chester  martyr,  was 
condemned  to  be  burnt."— (P.  H.  D.) 

Through  a  Norman  doorway  in  the  north  aisle 
of  the  choir,  we  enter  the  Cloisters. 

"  The  south  walk  is  entirely  new,  having  been  restored  by 
Scott.  The  west  walk  adjoins  a  fine  Early  Norman  cham- 
ber, probably  the  great  cellar  of  the  abbot's  house.  The 
cloisters  are  Perpendicular  work.  In  the  south  and  west 
walks  there  is  a  double  arcade  on  the  cloister-garth  side, 
which  contained  the  carrels,  or  enclosed  studies  of  wain- 
scot, where  the  monks  read  or  wrote,  and  on  the  opposite 
side  are  recesses  which  are  not  tombs,  but  Armaria  or 
cupboards,  where  their  books  and  materials  for  illumina- 


CHESTER  221 

tions  were  stored.  In  the  Perpendicular  period  the  roof  of 
the  cloisters  was  raised,  which  was  not  an  advantage,  as  it 
caused  the  aisle  windows  and  those  of  the  refectory  to  be 
partly  blocked  up,  and  the  vaulting  cuts  into  the  earlier 
work.  The  Lavatorium  is  near  the  Refectory,  an  Early 
English  building  with  Perpendicular  windows.  It  is  a 
noble  structure,  shorn  of  some  of  its  length,  and  now  used 
as  a  music  room.  The  stone  pulpit  is  remarkably  fine,  of 
Early  English  design,  which  rivals  the  famous  pulpit  of 
Beaulieu  Abbey."— (P.  H.  D.) 

A  doorway  in  the  east  walk  carries  us  into  the 
Vestibule  of  the  Chapter-House. 

In  the  vestibule  (Early  English)  light  graceful 
piers  support  the  vaulting.  The  mouldings  are 
very  much  admired. 

The  Chapter-House  is  also  Early  English  and 
ranks  high  among  these  very  national  productions. 
It  dates  from  about  1240.  The  east  window  of 
five  lights  is  a  handsome  example  of  its  date. 


MANCHESTER 

DEDICATION  :  ST.  MARY  THE  VIRGIN,  ST.  GEORGE  AND  ST. 

DENIS.     FORMERLY  SERVED  BY  SECULAR  CANONS. 
SPECIAL  FEATURES:  CHOIR-STALLS;  GORDON  WINDOW. 

MANCHESTER  was  built  for  a  parish  church  and 
only  became  a  cathedral  in  1847.  It  is  a  very  fine 
specimen  of  Perpendicular  Gothic  of  the  early  Fif- 
teenth Century,  though  there  are  some  remains  of 
older  work  here  and  there.  The  oldest  is  the  arch 
leading  into  the  Lady-Chapel.  This  shows  some 
influences  of  the  Decorated  style. 

The  choir,  aisles  and  chapter-house  date  from 
1422-1458;  the  nave  was  built  in  1465-1481 ;  Chapel 
of  the  Holy  Trinity,  1498;  Jesus  Chapel,  1506;  St. 
James'  Chantry  (Ducie  Chapel),  1507;  St.  George's 
Chapel,  1508;  Ely  Chapel,  1515;  and  Lady-Chapel 
in  1518.  The  Cathedral  suffered  during  the  Civil 
Wars  and  has  been  much  restored. 

The  exterior  is  not  particularly  impressive.  The 
walls  are  grimy  with  smoke  and  there  is  no  emerald 
sward,  nor  are  there  ivy-covered  walls. 

The  one  tower  (built  in  1864-1868)  rises  above 
a  still  more  recent  Western  porch,  designed  by 
Basil  Champneys  and  ornamented  with  a  parapet 
and  a  single  crocketed  turret,  which  gives  it  a  very 
unsymmetrical  appearance.  The  square  tower  con- 
tains a  clock  in  the  first  stage,  soars  140  feet  and 
is  finished  with  a  pierced  battlement  with  pinnacles 
at  the  corners. 

Turning  round  the  corner,  we  come  to  the  South 
porch,  two  bays  and  two  stories  (modern)  and 

222 


MANCHESTER  223 

elaborately  carved.  Next  comes  the  Jesus  Chapel; 
then  the  octagonal  Chapter-House ;  then  the  Eraser 
memorial  chapel ;  and  then  we  turn  the  corner  and 
come  to  the  Lady-Chapel,  unusually  small  and  pro- 
jecting only  about  eighteen  feet.  The  windows  are 
Eighteenth  Century,  though  the  tracery  is  Deco- 
rated in  general  character. 

Passing  the  window  of  the  north-choir-aisle  and 
the  eastern  end  of  the  Derby  Chapel,  we  again  turn 
the  corner.  The  first  projection  is  the  Ely  Chapel 
and  the  next  and  smaller  one  is  an  engine  room 
used  for  working  the  organ.  The  small  door  next 
opens  into  the  ante-chapel  of  the  Derby  Chapel. 
Finally  we  reach  the  north  porch. 

"  It  is  a  dimly  lighted  building ;  this  is  due  chiefly  to  two 
causes :  first  to  the  fact  that  it  is  enormously  wide,  and 
the  aisle  windows  are  therefore  far  from  the  central  nave, 
and  secondly  to  the  fact  that  almost  all  the  windows  both 
of  aisles  and  clerestory  are  filled  with  painted  glass,  in  many 
cases  of  a  deep  colour,  and  rendered  still  more  impervi- 
ous to  light  by  the  incrustation  of  carbon  deposited  on  their 
outside  by  the  perpetual  smoke  of  the  city.  So  dark  is 
the  church  that  in  the  winter  months  it  has  generally  to  be 
lit  with  gas  all  the  day  long,  and  even  in  the  summer,  in 
comparatively  bright  weather,  some  gas  burners  will  gen- 
erally be  found  alight.  The  mist  also  of  the  exterior  at- 
mosphere finds  its  way  into  the  building,  and  hangs  beneath 
the  roof,  lending  an  air  of  mystery  to  the  whole  place,  and 
giving  rise  to  most  beautiful  effects  when  the  sunlight 
streams  through  the  clerestory  windows.  The  tone  also  of 
the  nave  arcading  and  clerestory  rebuilt  in  recent  years,  of 
warm,  rose-coloured  sandstone,  is  very  lovely." — (T.  P.) 

The  Nave  is  wider  than  it  is  long.  With  its 
double  aisles  it  measures  114  feet;  its  length  is  only 
85  feet.  The  choir  is  about  the  same  proportion. 
The  Lady-Chapel,  at  the  extreme  east,  is  very  small. 
The  sides  of  the  nave  and  choir  are  still  further  ex- 


224  MANCHESTER 

tended  by  chapels,  partitioned  off  by  screens.  On 
the  south  side  of  the  nave  we  have  first  St. 
George's  Chapel  (founded  in  1508)  and  St. 
Nicholas's  Chapel  (founded  in  1186,  before  the 
present  church  was  built)  ;  and  on  the  north  side 
the  space  once  occupied  by  the  Holy  Trinity 
Chapel  (1498)  and  St.  James's  Chapel  (1507). 

"  This  church  differs  from  most  of  our  cathedral  and 
abbey  churches  in  having  no  triforium.*  And  the  clerestory 
is  not  lofty,  so  that  the  church  is  rather  low  for  its  width, 
though  the  height  of  the  arches  of  the  main  arcade  pre- 
vents this  being  felt.  The  roofs  of  the  aisles  are  all  mod- 
ern, but  that  of  the  nave,  though  extensively  repaired,  has 
much  of  the  original  work  in  it,  and,  with  the  exception 
of  a  few  bosses,  the  choir  roof  is  old.  All  the  roofs  are 
of  timber;  in  the  nave  the  intersections  of  the  main  beams 
are  covered  by  beautiful  bosses  carved  out  of  the  solid 
wood.  On  either  side,  at  the  points  from  which  the  main 
cross  beams  spring,  is  a  series  of  angelic  figures  splendidly 
carved  in  wood:  those  on  the  south  side  playing  stringed 
instruments,  those  on  the  north  side  wind  instruments. 

"  The  pillars  of  the  main  arcade  of  the  nave  are  modern 
work  built  in  imitation  of  the  original  ones.  They  are 
light  and  graceful,  and,  like  many  other  pillars  of  fifteenth 
century  date,  are  formed  of  shafts  of  which  only  half 
have  separate  capitals,  the  other  mouldings  running  round 
the  arch.  The  spaces  between  the  arches  are  elaborately 
carved  with  heraldic  shields." — (T.  P.) 

In  the  nave  we  find  the  one  interesting  window 
in  the  Cathedral  (the  most  eastern  one  in  the  Ducie 
Chapel),  a  memorial  to  General  Gordon  killed  at 
Khartoum  in  1888.  It  consists  of  five  lights.  Gor- 
don is  in  the  centre,  his  hand  on  the  head  of  a 
native  boy.  Natives  and  angels  occupy  the  other 
lights. 

Towards  the  east  end  of  the  nave  stands  the 

*A  triforium  in  purely  Perpendicular  buildings  is  rare. 


E 
H 
S 

O 

in 


c/2 

u 
W 
u 


H 
C/3 


MANCHESTER  225 

modern  pulpit  and  then  an  ancient  rood-screen 
with  three  wide  openings  and  double  doors. 

Passing  through  the  screen,  we  enter  the  Choir, 
sometimes  called  the  Radcliffe  Choir,  because 
members  of  this  family  were  buried  here. 

The  Choir-stalls  date  from  the  early  Sixteenth 
Century  and  resemble  those  in  Ripon  Cathedral 
and  Beverley  Minster. 

"  There  are  twelve  stalls  on  either  side,  and  three  on  each 
side  of  the  entrance  through  the  rood-screen  facing  east. 
The  stalls  are  furnished  with  misereres,  which,  in  common 
with  many  others  both  in  England  and  on  the  Continent, 
represent  all  manner  of  quaint  subjects,  monsters,  animals, 
hunting  scenes,  etc. 

"The  carved  elbows  of  the  stalls  and  the  end  of  the 
book  desks  are  also  worthy  of  careful  examination,  espe- 
cially the  Eagle  and  Child  and  general  carving  of  the 
Dean's  Stall,  which  is  a  marvel  of  beautiful  workmanship, 
and  said  by  high  authorities  to  be  unequalled. 

"  Between  the  stalls  the  floor  is  one  step  higher  than  that 
of  the  nave,  and  at  the  east  end  of  the  stall,  there  is  a 
further  rise  of  two  steps  as  we  pass  into  the  presbytery. 
Here,  on  the  south  side,  we  see  the  bishop's  throne — modern 
work,  carved  with  a  view  to  be  in  harmony  with  the  stalls, 
but  comparing  unfavourably  with  them  in  execution.  There 
is  a  rise  of  two  more  steps  into  the  sanctuary,  and  the 
altar  itself  is  raised  two  steps  higher;  this  gives  a  good 
effect.  Behind  the  altar  is  an  elaborately  carved  wooden 
reredos  of  modern  work,  richly  painted  and  gilt." — (T.  P.) 

A  fine  ancient  screen  runs  across  the  arch  at  the 
opening  of  the  Lady-Chapel. 

Along  the  south  side  of  the  south-choir-aisle  we 
first  come  to  the  vestry,  then  to  the  Jesus  Chapel 
(now  a  library),  separated  from  the  aisle  by  a 
handsome  screen  of  the  Sixteenth  Century.  Then 
we  reach  the  fine  entrance  to  the  Chapter-House, 
beneath  a  large  arch.  At  the  end  is  the  Fraser 


226  MANCHESTER 

Chapel,  with  an  altar  cenotaph  to  the  second  Bishop 
of  Manchester,  James  Eraser  (died  1885),  buried 
elsewhere. 

On  the  north  aisle  of  the  choir  the  space  is  occu- 
pied by  the  Derby  Chapel,  dedicated  to  St.  John 
the  Baptist.  It  was  the  private  chapel  of  the  Stan- 
ley family,  to  which  the  Earls  of  Derby  belong. 
It  was  begun  by  James  Stanley  (1485-1509),  who 
became  Bishop  of  Ely.  He  died  in  1515  and  was 
buried  near  the  Ely  Chapel,  where  the  original 
tomb  and  brass  are  still  to  be  seen. 


CARLISLE 

DEDICATION  :   THE  HOLY  TRINITY.     FORMERLY   SERVED   BY 

AUGUSTINIAN    CANONS. 
SPECIAL  FEATURES:  CHOIR  AND  EAST  WINDOW. 

IN  the  ancient  town  of  North  Cumberland — the 
famous  border  town  appearing  so  frequently  in 
ballads  as  "  Merry  Carlisle  " — the  Cathedral  shares 
the  honours  with  the  Castle.  Both  date  from  about 
1092. 

When  William  Rufus  II.  rebuilt  and  fortified 
Carlisle,  he  left  one  Walter,  a  Norman  priest,  as 
governor.  He  began  to  build  a  church  and  priory, 
but  died  in  the  meantime  and  Henry  I.  continued 
the  work.  The  church  was  dedicated  in  noi;  the 
monastery  of  Augustinians  was  founded  in  1121; 
and  the  Cathedral  established  in  1133.  It  was  built 
in  the  Norman  style,  a  nave  with  aisles,  transepts 
and  a  tower  at  the  intersection  of  the  latter.  The 
architect  was  Hugh,  once  abbot  of  Beaulieu.  The 
Norman  choir  was  taken  down  early  in  the  Thir- 
teenth Century  and  rebuilt  in  the  Early  English 
style.  Two  fires — especially  the  one  in  1292 — 
wrought  much  damage.  About  the  middle  of  the 
Fourteenth  Century  the  choir  was  completed  in  the 
Decorated  style,  and  the  magnificent  East  window 
was  also  inserted  at  this  time.  Robert  Bruce  took 
up  his  quarters  in  the  Cathedral  after  the  Battle 
of  Bannockburn  (1314).  In  1392  the  north  tran- 
sept suffered  from  fire.  Bishop  Strickland  (1400- 
1419)  restored  it  and  rebuilt  the  central  tower,  add- 
227 


228  CARLISLE 

ing  to  it  a  wooden  spire.  Henry  VIII.  disestab- 
lished the  monastery  and  formed  a  Cathedral. 

During  the  Civil  War  the  Puritan  soldiers  were 
quartered  in  the  Cathedral  and  did  much  damage. 

They  pulled  down  two-thirds  of  the  Norman 
nave  in  order  to  get  stones  with  which  to  repair 
the  fortifications.  At  the  rising  of  Charles  Edward, 
"  Bonnie  Prince  Charlie/'  in  1745,  his  soldiers  cap- 
tured Carlisle  and  used  the  Cathedral  for  their 
headquarters ;  and  when  the  Duke  of  Cumberland 
arrived,  the  church  was  again  used  as  barracks 
and  many  of  the  Jacobites  were  confined  in  its  walls. 

Carlisle  is  a  fine  place  to  study  all  the  styles  of 
Early  English  in  simple,  pointed,  geometric  and 
flowing.  It  is  famed  for  its  wonderful  East  Win- 
dow and  the  superb  Choir,  one  of  the  finest  in  Eng- 
land. 

"  A  good  view  is  obtained  from  the  castle.  The  usual 
approach  is  from  the  east  end,  whence  we  observe  the  grand 
east  window  with  its  beautiful  Late  Decorated  tracery.  It 
is  flanked  by  buttresses,  with  niches  and  crocketed  pin- 
nacles. In  the  niches  are  statues  of  SS.  Peter,  Paul,  James 
and  John.  A  foliated  cross  crowns  the  gable  and  on  each 
side  are  four  similar  crosses.  In  the  gable  is  a  triangular 
window,  having  three  trefoils,  and  below  is  a  niche  with  a 
figure  of  the  Virgin.  The  Central  Tower,  built  by  Bishop 
Strickland  (1400-1419)  on  the  old  Norman  piers,  is  too 
small  for  the  huge  choir  and  lacks  dignity.  Formerly  it 
was  crowned  with  a  wooden  spire,  but  this  has  been  re- 
moved. There  is  a  turret  set  at  the  north-east  angle,  and 
in  the  north  side  is  a  niche  with  the  figure  of  an  angel. 
The  lower  part  of  the  choir  is  Early  English,  with  the  ex- 
ception of  a  Perpendicular  window  at  the  west,  and  a 
Decorated  one  in  the  east  bay.  The  clerestory  is  Late 
Decorated,  and  the  windows  have  flowing  tracery.  The 
ball-flower  ornament  is  extensively  used  in  the  cornice. 
The  sculpture  at  Carlisle  is  worthy  of  notice.  Carved  heads 
and  curious  gargoyles  abound.  The  North  Transept  is 


Sir 


I 


d 


CARLISLE:  CHOIR 


CARLISLE  229 

nearly  all  modern.  It  was  rebuilt  by  Strickland  in  the 
Fifteenth  Century,  and  again  rebuilt  when  the  church  was 
restored.  There  is,  however,  an  Early  English  window  in 
the  west  wall.  On  the  east  side  there  was  formerly  a 
chapel,  which  has  not  survived  the  repeated  alterations. 
The  greater  part  of  the  Nave  was  taken  down  by  Crom- 
well's soldiers.  What  is  left  is  of  unmistakable  Norman 
character.  There  is  some  modern  imitation  work,  and  late 
architectural  detail.  Most  of  the  windows  are  modern,  and 
also  the  doorway.  The  south  side  is  similar  to  the  north. 
The  South  Transept  preserves  the  old  Norman  walls.  On 
the  south  is  a  modern  doorway  with  a  window  over  it. 
On  the  east  is  St.  Catherine's  Chapel,  a  Late  Early  Eng- 
lish or  Early  Decorated  building.  The  south  side  of  the 
choir  is  similar  to  the  north,  and  presents  Early  English 
details  of  construction.  The  monastic  buildings  once 
stood  on  the  south  side  of  the  church  but  they  have  been 
pulled  down  with  the  exception  of  the  fratry  and  gate- 
house, the  stone  being  used  for  repairing  the  fortifica- 
tions of  the  city  by  Puritan  soldiery.  The  refectory,  or 
fratry,  was  rebuilt  in  the  Fifteenth  Century,  and  is  now 
used  as  a  chapter-house.  There  is  a  fine  reader's  pulpit 
here.  The  gateway  was  erected  by  Prior  Slee  in  1527.  The 
Deanery  is  a  fine  old  house,  and  was  formerly  the  prior's 
lodging.  It  was  rebuilt  in  1507." — (P.  H.  D.) 

The  Nave  is  Norman,  but  of  the  eight  bays  only 
two  now  remain.  The  piers  are  low,  the  arches 
semicircular,  and  it  appears  that  later  hands  carved 
the  Early  English  foliage  on  the  capitals.  The 
triforium  shows  plain  round-headed  arches.  The 
clerestory  has  three  arches  in  each  bay,  resting  on 
shafts  with  carved  capitals.  The  west  end  is  mod- 
ern. Sir  Walter  Scott  was  married  here  in 
1797. 

The  North  Transept  was  rebuilt  in  the  Fifteenth 
Century  and  the  north  end  again  in  modern  times. 
The  large  window  is  modern  and  Decorated  in 
style.  An  Early  English  window  in  the  west  end  is 
a  good  example  of  plate-tracery.  The  roof  is  mod- 


230  CARLISLE 

ern;  the  arch  of  the  choir  aisle,  Decorated.  Nor- 
man piers  support  the  Tower,  to  which  Bishop 
Strickland  added  additional  columns,  Perpendicular 
with  foliated  capitals.  The  crescent  and  fetterlock 
on  the  capital  of  the  eastern  arch  are  emblems  of 
the  Percy  family ;  the  rose  and  scallop  shell  on  the 
western  side,  of  the  Dacres  and  Nevilles. 

The  South  Transept  is  only  one  bay:  The  arch 
into  the  choir-aisle  is  Norman  with  zigzag  orna- 
ments and  cushion  capitals.  Another  Norman  arch 
opens  into  St.  Catherine's  Chapel,  now  a  vestry. 
It  was  founded  by  John  de  Capella,  a  wealthy  citi- 
zen. The  beautiful  screen  is  Late  Decorated. 

The  Choir  consists  of  eight  pointed  arches:  it  is 
138  feet  long  and  72  feet  high. 

"We  now  enter  the  choir  by  the  door  in  the  organ- 
screen.  This  is  one  of  the  finest  in  England — spacious, 
lofty,  well-proportioned  and  rich  in  all  its  details.  The 
arches  of  the  main  arcade  are  Early  English,  as  the  mould- 
ings and  dog-tooth  ornament  testify.  These  remained  after 
the  fire  of  1292  and  were  retained.  The  piers  are  Early 
Decorated  and  were  evidently  built  to  support  the  arches 
after  the  fire.  The  capitals  were  carved  later  in  the  Late 
Decorated  period,  when  the  upper  parts  of  the  choir, 
triforium,  clerestory,  roof  and  east  end  were  rebuilt.  The 
builders  were  probably  Bishops  Welton  and  Appleby  (1353- 
139S)-  When  the  choir  was  rebuilt  in  Early  English  times, 
the  architect  determined  to  enlarge  it,  and  as  the  monastic 
buildings  on  the  south  prevented  any  expansion  in  that 
direction,  the  south  piers  of  the  choir  retained  their  old 
position,  while  the  north  were  moved  further  northward, 
and  a  new  north  aisle  added.  Thus  the  choir  and  the 
tower  and  nave  are  not  quite  symmetrical,  and  there  is  a 
blank  wall  at  the  north-west  end  of  the  choir  which  is 
thus  accounted  for.  The  details  of  the  architecture  of  the 
choir  merit  close  attention,  especially  the  sculpture.  Small 
figures  of  men,  animals  and  monsters  are  mingled  with  the 
foliage.  There  are  some  admirable  representations  of  the 


CARLISLE  231 

seasons,  beginning  with  the  second  capital  on  the  south, 
counting  from  the  east  end.  There  is  a  very  fine  timber 
roof,  constructed  about  the  middle  of  the  Fourteenth  Cen- 
tury. The  scheme  of  colour  decoration  is,  unfortunately, 
not  original."— (P.  H.  D.) 

The  East  Window  is  one  of  the  finest  Decorated 
windows  in  existence.  The  stone-work  is  not  new, 
but  it  is  believed  to  be  an  exact  reproduction  of  the 
original.  It  is  composed  of  86  distinct  pieces  of 
stone  and  is  struck  from  263  centres.  There  are 
nine  lights.  The  glass  of  the  upper  portion  is 
ancient,  dating  from  the  reign  of  Richard  II.  The 
pictures  are  the  Resurrection,  the  Final  Judgment 
and  the  New  Jerusalem.  Hell  is  shown  with  all 
the  terrors  familiar  to  the  Mediaeval  mind.  The 
modern  glass  below  represents  scenes  from  the  life 
of  Christ. 

The  Stalls  are  Late  Perpendicular  and  are  beau- 
tifully carved.  The  fine  tabernacle- work  is  dated 
about  1433.  The  misereres  represent  the  usual  gro- 
tesque monsters,  such  as  dragons,  griffins  and  fables 
in  which  the  crafty  fox  is  prominent.  A  Fifteenth 
Century  brass  to  Bishop  Bell  (1495)  on  the  floor  of 
the  choir  deserves  notice. 

A  Renaissance  screen  partitions  off  the  north- 
choir-aisle.  Here  we  notice  the  Early  English 
arcade  and  the  windows  with  two  lights,  dog-tooth 
ornament  and  deep  mouldings.  The  last  bay  east- 
ward is  Late  Decorated ;  the  last  bay  westward  con- 
tains a  Perpendicular  window. 

In  the  north  wall  two  Early  English  sepulchral 
recesses  are  unique  because  of  their  chevron  mould- 
ing. The  effigy  lying  in  one  of  them  is  supposed 
to  be  Silvester  of  Everdon  (1254).  The  stalls  in 
the  North-choir-aisle  are  ornamented  with  very 


232  CARLISLE 

strange  paintings  of  the  Fifteenth  Century  illus- 
trating the  lives  of  St.  Anthony  and  St.  Cuthbert, 
with  descriptive  verses. 

The  South-choir-aisle,  with  a  similar  screen  to 
the  opposite  one,  also  contains  painted  stalls  repre- 
senting the  life  of  St.  Augustine.  It  resembles  the 
north-choir-aisle. 

The  narrow  Retro-choir  is  of  the  same  date  as 
the  big  window. 

The  lower  part  of  the  Choir  is  Early  English 
with  the  exception  of  the  Perpendicular  window 
in  the  west  bay  and  a  Decorated  one  in  the  east 
bay.  The  clerestory  is  Late  Decorated,  the  windows 
noticeable  for  their  flowing  tracery.  Everywhere 
the  ball-flower  ornament  abounds,  and  carved  heads 
and  weird  gargoyles  are  omnipresent. 

The  south  side  resembles  the  north  with  the  ex- 
ception of  St.  Catherine's  Chapel,  a  Late  Early 
English,  or  Early  Decorated  construction.  The 
monastic  buildings  have  disappeared  with  the  ex- 
ception of  the  Refectory,  rebuilt  in  the  Fifteenth 
Century,  now  used  as  the  Chapter-House,  and  the 
gateway  built  in  1527.  The  fine  old  Deanery,  for- 
merly the  prior's  house,  was  rebuilt  in  1507. 


CARLISLE:   EAST  END 


H 
fc 

i 


OS 

D 
P 


DURHAM 

DEDICATION:  ST.  CUTHBERT.    FORMERLY  THE  CHURCH  OF  A 

BENEDICTINE  MONASTERY. 

SPECIAL  FEATURES  :  GALILEE  CHAPEL  ;  CHAPEL  OF  THE  NINE 
ALTARS;  NEVILLE  SCREEN;  JOSEPH'S  WINDOW. 

DURHAM  is  the  most  beautifully  situated  of  all 
English  cathedrals.  It  is  perched  upon  a  rocky  and 
wooded  eminence  above  the  Wear  River,  and  with 
the  castle  by  its  side  makes  a  noble  picture.  When 
seen  from  the  opposite  side  of  the  river  the  west 
end  of  the  Cathedral  is  very  charming;  for  the 
Galilee  Chapel,  the  western  towers  and  gable,  the 
tall  central  tower  and  the  roof  of  the  nave  show 
variety  of  line  and  mass.  The  Galilee  Chapel  com- 
pletely hides  the  western  doorway;  but  above  it 
rises  the  big  window  of  1346,  the  semicircular 
arch  and  the  small  gable  between  the  twin  towers. 
Durham  Cathedral  owed  its  existence  to  St.  Cuth- 
bert  (one  of  the  three  great  English  saints),  and 
was  fortunate  enough  to  possess  his  shrine.  There- 
fore, it  is  well  to  recall  his  life  before  visiting  the 
church.  St.  Cuthbert  was  born  about  635,  and  in 
Ireland,  according  to  tradition.  He  is  first  heard 
of  as  a  shepherd-boy  in  Northumbria,  where,  in  651, 
while  watching  his  flocks  by  night,  he  had  a  vision 
of  the  heavens  opening  and  angels  carrying  thither 
the  soul  of  St.  Aidan,  the  pious  bishop  of  Lindis- 
farne.  He  decided  to  become  a  monk  and  entered 
the  monastery  of  Melrose,  where  he  became  prior. 
After  a  few  years  he  went  to  Lindisfarne,  and  also 
became  prior  there.  In  676  he  became  an  anchorite 
233 


234  DURHAM 

on  Fame  Island,  where  he  died,  March  20,  687. 
The  fame  of  St.  Cuthbert  increased  after  his  death 
and  his  anniversary  was  a  great  festival  in  the  Eng- 
lish Church.  Many  churches  in  the  north  were 
dedicated  to  him.  His  body  rested  quietly  in  Lin- 
disfarne  for  two  hundred  years,  but  in  875,  when 
the  Danes  were  ravaging  Northumbria,  the  pious 
monks  of  Holy  Island,  bearing  the  body  on  their 
shoulders,  fled  inland  and  found  a  temporary  rest- 
ing-place in  Chester-le-Street,  half-way  between 
Newcastle  and  Durham.  In  995  they  transferred 
the  body  of  St.  Cuthbert  to  Ripon ;  but  in  the  same 
year  removed  it  to  Durham. 

Legend  says  that  after  the  monks  left  Chester-le- 
Street,  St.  Cuthbert  appeared  and  announced  that 
he  desired  to  rest  at  Dun-holm.  The  monks  wan- 
dered about  in  search  of  this  place.  Finally  they 
heard  a  woman  asking  another  if  she  had  seen  her 
lost  cow.  The  other  answered :  "  It's  down  in 
Dun-holm/'  The  monks  remembering  that  Dun- 
holm  meant  hill-meadow,  carried  the  body  of  St. 
Cuthbert  into  the  lonely  field. 

Here  they  built  a  stone  chapel  to  protect  the 
body;  and  Bishop  Aldhun  soon  began  a  great 
church.  This  "  White  Church  "  was  consecrated  in 
999.  Aldhun  died  in  1018.  The  next  important 
bishop  was  William  of  Saint  Carileph  (1080-1096), 
appointed  by  William  the  Conqueror.  He  turned 
the  place  into  a  Benedictine  monastery.  Then  he 
determined  to  build  a  better  Cathedral,  and  laid 
the  foundation-stone  in  1093.  When  he  died,  three 
years  later,  the  walls  of  the  choir,  the  eastern  walls 
of  the  transepts,  the  arches  of  the  tower  and  a  part 
of  the  first  bay  of  the  nave  were  finished.  A  tempo- 
rary shrine  was  also  made  for  St.  Cuthbert's  body. 


DURHAM  235 

Ranulph  Flambard  (1099-1128)  was  the  next  great 
builder.  The  nave,  the  aisles,  the  west  doorway, 
the  lower  part  of  the  western  towers  and  the  vault- 
ing of  the  aisles  are  his.  In  1104  he  removed  the 
body  of  St.  Cuthbert  from  the  cloister-garth  to  the 
splendid  shrine  behind  the  high  altar.  Here  the 
sacred  relics  were  supposed  to  work  miracles,  and 
pilgrims  flocked  in  great  numbers  to  this  holy  place. 
William  the  Conqueror,  Henry  III.,  Edward  II., 
and  Henry  VI.  were  among  the  royal  personages 
who  did  homage  to  the  saint. 

When  Henry  VIII.  suppressed  the  monasteries  in 
1540,  the  shrine  was  destroyed;  but  the  monks 
secured  St.  Cuthbert's  body  and  buried  it  beneath 
the  platform  on  which  the  shrine  had  stood.  In 
1827  the  grave  was  opened.  A  coffin  was  found 
that  had  been  made  in  1541 ;  this  enclosed  another, 
supposed  to  date  from  1104;  and  this,  a  third,  that 
agreed  with  the  description  of  the  one  made  in 
698.  In  the  latter  was  found  St.  Cuthbert's  body, 
wrapped  in  five  robes  of  embroidered  silk.  Thus 
it  almost  seemed  as  if  there  were  some  reason  for 
the  legend  that  his  body  was  supposed  to  be  in- 
corrupt. 

William  the  Conqueror,  anxious  to  see  this  in- 
corrupt body,  ordered  the  shrine  to  be  opened ;  but, 
at  the  first  stroke,  such  sickness  and  terror  fell  upon 
him  that  he  rushed  from  the  Cathedral ;  and,  mount- 
ing his  horse,  he  never  drew  bridle  until  he  had 
crossed  the  Tees. 

Until  the  Reformation  the  banner  of  St.  Cuth- 
bert hung  over  his  shrine.  It  was  made  from  a 
cloth  used  by  St.  Cuthbert  in  celebrating  mass  and 
it  was  believed  to  insure  victory  to  the  army  in 
whose  ranks  it  was  carried.  Flodden  was  one  of  the 


236  DURHAM 

many  fields  in  which  the  defeat  of  the  Scots  was 
ascribed  to  the  Standard  of  St.  Cuthbert.  Another 
was  Neville's  Cross,,  near  Durham,  when  15,000 
Scots  perished.  A  thanksgiving  hymn  was  ordered 
to  be  sung  on  top  of  the  Cathedral  tower  on  each 
anniversary  of  the  battle.  This  custom  is  still 
observed. 

Returning  now  to  the  architectural  history  of  the 
Cathedral,  the  next  great  builder  was  Hugh  Pudsey 
(1153-1195),  in  whose  time  the  Norman  style  was 
passing  out  of  fashion.  Pudsey  began  to  build  a 
Lady-Chapel  at  the  east  end ;  but  when  he  saw  great 
cracks  appearing  in  the  walls,  he  thought  that  St. 
Cuthbert  was  manifesting  his  displeasure.  Conse- 
quently he  removed  all  his  building  materials,  in- 
cluding the  Purbeck  marble  columns,  and  began  and 
finished  the  wonderful  Galilee  Chapel  at  the  west 
end,  about  1175. 

Pudsey  was  a  great  prince  as  well  as  a  fine 
builder.  He  was  only  twenty-five  when  he  became 
Bishop  of  Durham.  He  bought  the  earldom  of 
Northumberland  and  also  a  manor.  When  King 
Henry  decided  to  go  to  Jerusalem  after  his  capture 
by  the  Saracens,  Pudsey  fitted  out  ships  and  had  a 
seat  of  silver  for  himself  in  one  of  them.  The 
King  died,  and  Pudsey  remained  at  home ;  and 
while  King  Richard  went  on  the  trip  Pudsey  and 
the  Bishop  of  Ely  quarrelled.  Pudsey  was  decoyed 
to  London  and  thrown  into  the  Tower.  He  was 
released.  He  died  on  another  journey  from  Dur- 
ham to  London  in  1195. 

Bishop  Poore  (1229-1237),  arriving  from  Salis- 
bury Cathedral  (see  page  77),  planned  the  Chapel 
of  the  Nine  Altars,  another  special  feature  of  Dur- 
ham and  one  of  the  best  examples  of  Early  Eng- 


DURHAM  237 

lish  in  existence.  As  soon  as  he  arrived  in  Dur- 
ham, Bishop  Poore  began  to  plan  the  eastern 
transept,  for  the  apse  of  Carileph's  choir  had  been 
deemed  unsafe.  Building,  however,  was  not  under- 
taken until  after  his  death. 

In  the  Fourteenth  Century  the  large  window  in 
the  north  transept  and  the  west  windows  of  the 
nave  were  added.  Then  the  cloisters  were  built 
and  several  halls.  The  refectory  was  turned  into 
a  library  in  1661-1684. 

The  central  tower  was  repaired  and  rebuilt  in 
the  Fifteenth  Century. 

Wyatt,  who  had  charge  of  the  restorations  in 
1796,  destroyed  the  fine  Norman  Chapter-House 
(built  in  1133-1140),  rebuilt  the  turrets  on  the 
Chapel  of  the  Nine  Altars  and  placed  a  window 
of  his  own  design  in  the  east  end,  removing  for 
the  purpose  the  great  Early  English  window.  The 
original  glass  was  also  taken  out  and  piled  up  in 
baskets.  After  much  had  been  stolen  the  remainder 
was  locked  up  in  the  Galilee.  Some  of  it  was  in- 
serted in  the  great  round  window. 

Wyatt  came  very  near  destroying  the  Galilee 
Chapel  so  that  he  could  open  the  west  doorway; 
but  he  was  fortunately  stopped. 

The  chief  restorations  of  late  years  have  been 
those  of  1870-1876,  when  the  new  choir-screen 
and  pulpit  were  erected,  the  choir-stalls  replaced 
and  the  floor  of  the  choir  paved  with  marble 
mosaic. 

From  the  large  open  space  between  the  Cathedral 
and  Castle,  known  as  the  Palace  Green,  we  gain  a 
fine  view  of  the  northern  side  of  the  building;  the 
tall  central  tower  and  transept  with  its  splendid 
window  (1362)  (The  Four  Doctors  of  the  Church)  ; 


238  DURHAM 

and  the  north  aisle  to  the  Chapel  of  the  Nine  Altars 
that  completes  the  eastern  end. 

From  this  side  we  can  study  the  towers  to  ad- 
vantage. The  two  square,  solid  western  towers 
date  from  Norman  time;  but  the  Norman  work 
ends  at  the  roof  of  the  nave;  then  begins  what  is 
probably  work  of  the  Thirteenth  Century.  Here 
we  have  four  stories  ornamented  with  arcading, 
blind  and  open.  The  first  and  third  have  pointed 
arches,  and  the  second  and  fourth  round  arches. 
The  open  parapets  and  pinnacles  were  added  at  the 
end  of  the  Eighteenth  Century. 

The  Central  Tower  dates  from  about  1474,  re- 
placing an  older  tower  that  had  been  condemned. 
The  belfry  had  been  struck  by  lightning  in  1429. 
The  tower  consists  of  two  stories  separated  by  a 
narrow  gallery  with  a  pierced  and  embattled  para- 
pet. This  is  called  the  Bell  Ringers'  Gallery.  The 
windows  are  arranged  in  pairs  surmounted  by  ogee 
label  moldings,  crocketed  and  ornamented  with 
finials.  The  tower  is  finished  with  an  open-worked 
parapet,  and  at  each  corner  are  buttresses  with  cano- 
pied niches  containing  figures. 

We  walk  eastward  to  gain  a  nearer  view  of  the 
Chapel  of  the  Nine  Altars  with  the  Early  Decorated 
window  and  turrets  crowned  with  pyramids.  We 
particularly  want  to  see  on  the  north-west  tur- 
ret the  panel  of  the  Dun  Cow,  a  modern  repro- 
duction of  an  ancient  work,  commemorating  the 
legend. 

We  now  turn  and  walk  westwards.  Then  we 
enter  the  North  Door,  the  principal  entrance  to 
the  Cathedral.  The  exterior  is  the  work  of  Wyatt ; 
and  though  we  take  some  pleasure  in  the  carvings 
of  foliage,  figures,  chevrons  and  lozenges  that  orna- 


DURHAM  239 

ment  the  capitals  and  arch-moulds,  it  is  the  door- 
way, with  its  sanctuary  knocker,  that  attracts  our 
attention. 

Criminals  were  wont  to  claim  sanctuary  at  Dur- 
ham from  740  to  1524.  As  soon  as  the  fugitive 
grasped  the  ring  he  was  safe.  This  knocker  is  a 
grotesque  head  of  bronze  with  a  ring  hanging  from 
the  grinning  mouth. 

"  The  north  entrance  door  tells  an  interesting  tale.  The 
present  door  is  a  modern  restoration,  and  some  of  the 
original  features  of  the  famous  entrance  have  been  ob- 
literated. Towards  this  door  many  a  poor  wretch  hastening 
to  escape  the  hands  of  the  avenger  has  sped  his  fearful 
steps  in  days  gone  by.  Attached  to  the  door  still  glares 
a  fearful-looking  metallic  head  holding  a  ring  in  its  mouth. 
In  its  now  eyeless  sockets  were  once  in  all  probability  balls 
of  crystal,  or  enamel.  When  once  the  ring  was  grasped 
by  the  hand  of  the  fugitive  he  was  safe.  He  had  claimed 
the  '  peace '  of  St.  Cuthbert,  and  the  sanctity  of  the  neigh- 
bouring shrine  shielded  him.  Above  the  door  by  day  and 
night  watched  relays  of  monks  to  admit  those  who  claimed 
sanctuary.  So  soon  as  ever  a  fugitive  had  reached  the 
door  he  was  admitted.  This  done  he  had  to  confess  the 
crime  of  which  he  was  guilty,  and  his  statement  was  taken 
down  in  writing.  All  the  while  a  bell  was  tolling  to  give 
notice  that  some  one  had  taken  refuge  in  the  church.  Then 
the  culprit  was  arrayed  in  a  black  gown  with  a  yellow  cross 
on  his  left  shoulder,  and  remained  within  the  precincts  for 
thirty-seven  days.  If,  at  the  end  of  that  time,  he  could  not 
obtain  a  pardon  of  the  civil  authorities,  he  was  conveyed 
across  the  seas  to  begin  life  elsewhere." — (T.) 

The  exterior  has  not  prepared  us  for  the  great 
impression  that  we  experience  on  entering  the  Nave 
with  its  enormous  columns  and  noble  arches.  These 
columns  are  deeply  cut,  some  with  spirals,  some 
with  zigzags,  some  with  reeds,  etc.  The  whole 
effect  is  solemn.  Fortunately  the  modern  screen 
allows  the  gaze  to  traverse  the  entire  length  of  the 


240  DURHAM 

nave  and  choir  until  it  is  checked  by  the  famo 
Neville  Screen. 


ms 


"  The  triforium  is  almost  uniform  throughout  the  whole 
church.  In  each  sub-bay  it  consists  of  two  small  arches 
under  one^  large  one,  with  the  tympanum  solid.  Here  also 
the  capitals  are  cushions  and  perfectly  plain. 

"  Above  the  triforium  is  the  clerestory,  which  con- 
tains one  light  to  each  sub-bay,  and  surmounting  all  is  the 
vaulting,  which  springs  from  the  piers  and  from  grotesquely 
carved  corbels  between  the  triforium  arches.  The  vaulting 
ribs  are  ornamented  with  chevrons  on  either  side  of  a 
bold  semicircular  moulding.  So  much  for  the  general  ar- 
rangement of  the  bays.  Some  idea  of  the  massiveness  of 
the  structures  may  be  gathered  when  it  is  known  that  each 
group  of  the  clustered  pillars  separating  the  bays  covers 
an  area  of  two  hundred  and  twenty-five  square  feet  at  its 
base,  while  those  of  the  cylindrical  columns  of  the  sub- 
bays  are  twelve  feet  square,  and  the  columns  themselves 
have  a  circumference  of  over  twenty-three  feet.  There  is 
little  room  to  doubt  that  the  effect  obtained  by  the  old 
builders  of  Durham  was  intentional.  The  masterly  way  in 
which  great  masses  of  solid  masonry,  greater  than  was 
constructively  necessary,  are  handled,  and  the  reticence 
and  delicacy  of  the  ornament  combine  to  prove  this.  There 
is  in  the  whole  scheme  a  delightful  union  of  great  power 
and  vigour  in  the  masses,  and  of  tenderness  and  loving 
care  in  the  detail."— (J.  E.  B.) 

At  the  west  end  of  the  nave  stands  the  Font,  a 
modern  work  in  the  Norman  style  carved  with  me- 
dallions depicting  scenes  from  the  life  of  St.  Cuth- 
bert.  It  is  covered  by  a  large  wooden  canopy, 
dating  from- 1663  and  curiously  carved  with  a 
mixture  of  Classic  and  Gothic  ornamentation. 

Durham  is  built  in  the  form  of  a  Latin  cross, 
with  transept,  and  in  the  centre  of  the  arms  rises 
the  tower.  At  the  east  end  another  transept  runs 
—the  Chapel  of  the  Nine  Altars.  At  the  west  end 
we  have  the  Galilee  Chapel. 


DURHAM  :   NAVE,  EAST 


w 
u 

a 
a 
j 


D 

Q 


DURHAM  241 

No  one  seems  to  know  the  origin  of  the  word 
Galilee.  According  to  Canon  Talbot: 

"  Its  name  of  Galilee  has  probably  some  reference  to 
Galilee  of  the  Gentiles,  and  implies  that  it  was  considered 
less  sacred  than  the  rest  of  the  Cathedral.  St.  Cuthbert 
had  a  more  than  monkish  fear  of  women,  and  they  were 
not  allowed  to  approach  the  shrine.  A  cross  let  into  the 
pavement  of  the  nave  at  the  far  west  end  curiously 
marks  the  far-removed  spot  nearer  than  which  women 
might  not  approach.  The  prejudices  of  the  good  saint 
were  thus  perpetuated  long  after  his  death.  The  whole 
effect  is  light  and  graceful,  and  if  the  women  were  not 
allowed  to  enter  farther  than  the  western  extremity  of  the 
church,  they  certainly  had  a  most  beautiful  place  of  wor- 
ship." 

The  Galilee  Chapel  is  the  most  beautiful  example 
of  Transitional  Norman. 

"  Entering  the  chapel  by  the  steps  leading  from  the  Nor- 
man nave,  the  visitor  is  at  once  impressed  with  the  light- 
ness and  delicacy  of  the  work  before  him,  as  compared 
with  the  massive  grandeur  of  the  Norman  cathedral  behind. 
Here  we  have,  in  fact,  one  of  the  latest  uses  of  the  round 
arch  influenced  by  the  rapidly  developing  Early  English 
Gothic.  In  plan  the  chapel  consists  of  a  nave  with  double 
aisles,  which  perhaps  might  be  more  properly  called  five 
aisles.  These  are  divided  by  arcades,  each  of  which  is  of 
four  bays.  These  arches  and  the  columns  which  support 
them  are  the  chief  beauty  and  characteristic  of  the  chapel. 
The  arches  are  semicircular,  of  one  order,  with  three  lines 
of  chevrons,  one  on  each  face,  and  one  on  the  soffit  between 
two  roll  mouldings.  The  capitals  are  light  and  graceful  and 
carved  with  a  volute,  and  the  columns  clusters  of  marble 
and  freestone  shafts.  The  whole  seems  to  have  been 
coloured  in  fresco,  and  remains  of  this  are  still  to  be  seen. 
The  stone  shafts,  which  alternate  with  those  of  marble, 
do  not  carry  any  of  the  weight  of  the  arch,  and  are,  un- 
doubtedly, an  addition,  probably  in  the  time  of  Cardinal 
Langley,  when  they  must  have  been  added,  with  a  view  to 
improving  the  appearance.  The  dimensions  of  the  chapel 
are  forty-seven  feet  from  east  to  west,  and  seventy-six  feet 


242  DURHAM 

from  north  to  south.  The  existing  roof  and  the  three 
Perpendicular  windows  on  the  west  end  are  also  addi- 
tions by  Cardinal  Langley.  On  the  walls  above  what  were 
once  the  altars  of  the  Virgin  and  Our  Lady  of  Pity,  re- 
mains of  fresco  painting  may  be  noticed,  all  that  remains 
of  what  has  evidently  been  beautiful  work.  These  were 
only  brought  to  light  by  the  removal  of  successive  coats  of 
whitewash  with  which  they  had  been  covered." — (J.  E.  B.) 

The  two  doorways  at  the  end  of  the  north  aisle 
and  south  aisle  of  the  nave  were  made  by  Cardinal 
Langley,  who  closed  up  the  great  West  door,  re- 
opened in  1846.  This  was  built  by  Flambard  (1099- 
1128)  and  consists  of  an  arch  of  four  orders  deco- 
rated with  chevrons.  Grotesque  animals  also  ap- 
pear in  medallions.  Langley  also  made  a  new  roof, 
for  which  he  raised  the  walls. 

In  front  of  the  principal  altar  stands  Langley's 
Tomb,  erected  by  himself;  but  of  far  more  interest 
is  the  resting-place  of  a  greater  man. 

No  visitor  can  look  upon  the  stone  slab  that  marks 
the  grave  of  the  Venerable  Bede  without  awe. 
Bede,  so  famed  for  his  learning  and  piety,  was  a 
contemporary  of  St.  Cuthbert  and  spent  his  long 
life  chiefly  in  the  monasteries  of  Monkwearmouth 
and  Jarrow.  He  died  in  735  and  was  buried  at 
Jarrow.  In  1022  his  remains  were  stolen  and 
placed  in  the  same  coffin  with  those  of  St.  Cuthbert. 
Pudsey  removed  them  into  the  new  Galilee  Chapel. 
"  There,  in  a  silver  casket  gilt  with  gold,  hee  laid 
the  bones  of  Venerable  Bede,  and  erected  a  costly 
and  magnificent  shrine  over  it,"  so  the  Rites  of 
Durham  inform  us.  When  the  shrine  was  destroyed 
in  1542,  the  bones  were  interred  beneath  the  site  of 
the  shrine  and  were  left  undisturbed  until  1831, 
when  they  were  exhumed,  examined,  enclosed  in 
a  lead-lined  coffin  and  replaced  in  the  tomb. 


DURHAM  243 

"  The  most  interesting  monument  here  is  the  plain  altar- 
slab  which  marks  the  burial-place  of  the  great  Northum- 
brian scholar.  On  the  tomb  are  engraved  the  well-known 
words,  Hac  sunt  in  fossa  Beda  Venerabills  ossa  (In  this 
grave  lie  the  bones  of  the  Venerable  Bede).  According 
to  the  old  legend  the  monk,  who  was  casting  about  for  a 
word  to  complete  the  scansion  of  his  line  between  Beda 
and  ossa,  left  a  space  blank  until  he  could  in  the  morning 
return  to  his  task  with  a  mind  refreshed.  However,  dur- 
ing the  night  an  unknown  hand  added  the  metrically  suit- 
able Venerabilis.  This,  according  to  the  legend,  is  the 
origin  of  the  peculiar  preface  Venerable,  always  associated 
with  fhe  name  of  Bede."— (T.) 

There  are  few  monuments  and  tombs  in  Durham 
Cathedral.  The  most  interesting  is  that  of  Lord 
Ralph  Neville  and  his  wife,  Lady  Alice,  in  the 
south  side  of  the  nave.  Unfortunately  the  effigies 
of  1367  and  1364  are  much  mutilated.  Near  them 
is  the  altar-tomb  of  Lord  John  Neville  (died, 
1386),  and  his  wife,  the  daughter  of  Lord  Henry 
Percy,  the  famous  "  Hotspur."  Their  effigies  are 
headless  and  mutilated,  but  traces  of  colour  and 
gilding  are  to  be  seen.  The  carving  of  the  canopies 
is  very  beautiful  and  between  each  of  the  niches 
are  two  square  panels  bearing  the  arms  of  Neville 
and  Percy. 

We  now  come  to  the  transepts.  Each  consists 
of  two  bays,  with  an  aisle  on  the  eastern  side,  to 
which  three  steps  lead.  In  these  at  one  time  altars 
stood — to  St.  Nicholas  and  St.  Giles,  to  St.  Gregory 
and  St.  Benedict  in  the  north  transept;  and  to  St. 
Faith  and  St.  Thomas  the  Apostle,  to  Our  Lady  of 
Bolton  and  Our  Lady  of  Houghhall,  in  the  south 
transept.  A  large  window  ornaments  and  lights 
each  end. 

The  one  in  the  north  end  is  supposed  to  date 
from  1362.  It  is  composed  of  six  lights,  and  the 


244  DURHAM 

head  shows  late  geometrical  tracery.  The  transom 
crossing  the  mullions  is  not  visible  from  the  outside. 
Below  it  a  second  set  of  mullions  supports  a  small 
gallery  which  leads  to  the  triforium.  This  window 
was  repaired  in  1512  and  rilled  with  glass  of  the 
period  representing  its  chief  figures — St.  Augustine, 
St.  Jerome,  St.  Gregory  and  St.  Ambrose.  There- 
fore it  became  known  as  The  Four  Doctors  of  the 
Church.  Prior  Castell,  who  had  charge  of  the  re- 
pairs, placed  himself  here  kneeling  before  the  Vir- 
gin. The  opposite  window,  in  the  south  end  of  the 
transept,  is  called  the  Te  Deum.  It  contains  six 
lights  and  is  Perpendicular  in  style,  dating  between 
1416  and  1446.  There  are  corresponding  stairways 
in  the  north-west  and  south-west  corners  of  the 
transepts. 

Now  we  come  to  the  Tower,  supported  on  four 
large  Norman  piers  with  semicircular  arches.  We 
look  above  about  seventy  feet  and  see  the  first  story 
of  the  lantern  with  a  gallery.  Panels,  grotesque 
heads,  corbels,  crockets  and  finials  and  a  string- 
course ornamented  with  the  Tudor  flower  give  us 
plenty  to  study.  Then  come  the  windows,  each 
with  two  lights  and  divided  by  a  transom,  and,  last 
of  all,  the  handsome  groined  roof  with  bosses  on  the 
ribs. 

The  Choir  is  the  earliest  part  of  the  church.  It 
contains  Early  Norman,  Early  English  and  Early 
Decorated  work.  The  two  later  styles  occur  in  the 
eastern  part,  and  much  beautiful  detail  is  to  be  en- 
joyed. Where  the  one  leaves  off  and  the  other 
begins  affords  interesting  study. 

Carileph's  work  is  seen  in  the  western  bays.  Ar- 
cades adorn  the  piers  on  both  sides  of  the  choir. 
The  lower  row  has  six  arches  and  the  upper  three. 


DURHAM  245 

All  these  are  carved  with  foliage,  heads  and  half 
figures.  On  each  pier  of  the  upper  arcade  there  is 
an  angel  under  a  canopy.  The  vaulting  dates  from 
the  Thirteenth  Century.  It  is  quadripartite.  Square 
leaves  and  the  dog-tooth  decorate  the  ribs.  The 
bosses  at  the  points  of  intersection  are  very  fine. 

An  altar-tomb  with  the  effigy  of  Bishop  Hatfield 
(1345-1381),  beneath  the  Bishop's  Throne,  reminds 
us  of  the  days  when  bishops  were  princes  and  war- 
riors. Hatfield  led  eighty  archers  to  the  siege  of 
Calais ;  and  during  his  rule  at  Durham  the  battle  of 
Neville's  Cross  occurred  (see  page  236).  Such  a 
magnificent  bishop  had  to  have  a  magnificent  tomb ; 
and  so,  according  to  the  custom  of  the  day,  he 
designed  one  for  himself.  Here  he  lies  beneath  a 
canopy  that  once  was  bright  with  painting  and 
gilding.  His  effigy  shows- his  splendid  robes. 

The  Screen,  separating  the  choir  from  the  nave, 
dates  from  1870-1876.  The  Choir-stalls  were  made 
from  1660  to  1672  to  replace  the  originals  destroyed 
by  the  Scottish  prisoners  incarcerated  in  the  Cathe- 
dral in  1650  after  the  battle  of  Dunbar. 

Above  the  high  altar  rises  the  splendid  Neville 
Screen,  erected  about  1380  chiefly  at  the  expense 
of  John,  Lord  Neville  of  Raby.  It  runs  along  the 
entire  choir,  and  forms  sedilia  of  four  seats  on 
either  side.  The  screen  was  originally  filled  with 
107  statues.  The  Virgin  stood  in  the  centre,  and 
one  side  of  her  was  St.  Cuthbert,  and  on  the  other 
St.  Oswald. 

"  The  prior  of  the  day  employed  at  his  own  expense 
seven  masons  for  nearly  a  year  to  fix  the  screen,  the 
execution  of  which  is  supposed  to  have  been  the  fruit  of 
the  labours  of  French  artists.  The  screen  originally  was 
much  more  elaborate  than  at  present,  being  covered  with 


246  DURHAM 

rich  colour  and  every  niche  filled  with  sculptured  figures, 
but  even  now  its  present  appearance  is  graceful." — (T.) 

The  Neville  screen  is  pierced  by  two  doors  that 
lead  directly  to  the  Shrine  of  St.  Cuthbert  in  the 
Chapel  of  the  Nine  Altars  just  behind  it ;  for  in 
this  chapel  repose  the  bones  of  the  patron  saint. 
Facing  the  great  rose  window  there  is  an  oblong 
platform  (37x23  feet),  about  six  feet  higher  than 
the  floor.  The  shrine  was  placed  here  in  1104  and 
remained  until  1540,  when  the  body  was  taken  from 
it  and  buried  beneath  this  spot. 

The  Chapel  of  the  Nine  Altars  was  so  named 
because  beneath  the  nine  lancet  windows  formerly 
stood  nine  altars  to  the  following  saints:  (i),  St. 
Andrew  and  St.  Mary  Magdalen;  (2),  St.  John  the 
Baptist  and  St.  Margaret;  (3),  St.  Thomas  of  Can- 
terbury and  St.  Catherine;  (4),  St.  Oswald  and  St. 
Lawrence;  (5),  St.  Cuthbert  and  St.  Bede;  (6), 
St.  Martin;  (7),  St.  Peter  and  St.  Paul;  (8),  St. 
Aidan  and  St.  Helen;  (9),  St.  [Michael  the  Arch- 
angel. 

"  It  is  approached  from  the  aisles  by  steps,  the  floor  level 
being  lower  than  that  of  the  church  proper.  It  is  alto- 
gether a  remarkable  and  interesting  structure.  With  its 
lightness  and  loftiness  contrasting  grandly  with  the  mas- 
sive Norman  nave  and  choir,  its  clustered  columns  of  pol- 
ished marble  alternating  with  stone,  its  fine  bold  sculpture, 
its  splendid  vaulted  roof  and  rich  arcading,  it  forms  a 
perfect  example  of  the  Early  English  style.  Though 
regular  and  symmetrical  in  general  design,  the  detail  shows 
great  variety,  and  even  irregularity,  a  quality  so  often 
present  in  old  work,  and  so  much  to  its  advantage. 

"  The  '  New  Work/  as  it  was  always  called,  was  com- 
menced in  the  year  1242.  The  eastern  wall,  with  its  rose 
and  nine  lancet  windows,  is  the  earliest  part  of  the  chapel, 
the  north  and  south  walls  being  later.  The  joining  and 


DURHAM  247 

blending  of  the  work  with  the  Norman  of  Carileph's  choir 
had  evidently  been  accomplished  when  the  chapel  was  al- 
most completed.  The  eastern  wall  is  of  three  bays,  each 
bay  having  three  lofty  lancet  windows.  The  bays  are  not 
of  equal  width,  the  centre  one  being  regulated  by  the 
width  of  the  nave  of  the  church,  and  narrower  than  the 
north  and  south  bays. 

"  A  very  beautiful  arcade  runs  completely  round  the 
walls.  It  is  of  trefoil  arches  deeply  and  richly  moulded, 
supported  on  marble  columns  carved  with  foliage.  Over 
the  arches  is  a  hood-mould  terminating  with  heads.  In 
the  spandrels  are  a  series  of  deeply  sunk  and  moulded 
quatrefoils,  two  of  which  contain  sculpture.  The  bases  of 
the  columns  rest  on  a  plinth.  Surmounting  this  arcade  is 
a  moulded  string  from  the  level  of  which  rise  the  win- 
dows, and  above  the  windows  another  string-course  and  a 
second  range  of  windows.  In  the  centre  bay,  however,  is 
the  large  rose  window,  which  is  over  thirty  feet  in 
diameter. 

"  The  division  of  the  chapel  into  three  bays  is  effected  by 
two  main  vaulting  arches,  which  spring  on  the  western  side 
from  the  piers  of  the  east  end  of  the  choir,  and  on  the 
eastern  side  from  responds  of  clustered  shafts  alternately 
of  marble  and  stone,  banded  at  intervals  and  having  richly 
carved  capitals.  The  arches  themselves  are  deeply  moulded 
and  ornamented  with  dog-tooth  ornament  and  foliage.  The 
vault  of  the  central  bay  has  eight  ribs — two  springing  from 
each  of  the  clusters  just  described,  and  two  from  each  of 
the  choir  piers.  The  vaulting  of  the  remaining  bays  is 
quadripartite,  but  has  peculiarities  which  are  worthy  of 
notice,  arising  from  inequality  of  width.  We  must  not 
omit  to  call  attention  to  the  exquisite  sculpture  of  the 
vaulting.  The  centre  has  figures  of  the  Four  Evangelists, 
while  in  the  north  is  a  beautifully  executed  carving  of 
vine  and  grapes,  and  in  the  south,  figure  subjects.  Among 
the  sculptured  heads  on  the  wall  arcade  at  the  south  end, 
at  the  western  side  of  the  two  bays  into  which  the  south 
wall  is  divided,  are  two  which  are  portraits  of  the  men  to 
whom  we  owe  the  design  and  execution  of  the  beautiful 
sculpture  of  this  chapel.  One  is  an  elderly  man,  the  other 
much  younger,  and  both  wear  linen  dust-caps  over  their 
heads."-(J.  E.  B.) 


248  DURHAM 

The  rich  and  varied  carving  of  the  capitals  of 
the  vaulting-shafts  and  vaulting-bosses  will  delight 
the  lover  of  beautiful  sculpture. 

The  beautiful  Early  Decorated  north  window  of 
six  lights  was  originally  filled  with  glass  illustrating 
the  history  of  Joseph.  Hence  it  was  called  Joseph's 
Window.  It  is  a  particularly  fine  example  of  the 
tracery  of  the  period. 

The  two  windows  in  the  south  end  of  this  tran- 
sept were  once  filled  with  glass  representing  the  life 
and  miracles  of  St.  Cuthbert.  They  show  tracery  of 
the  Perpendicular  period.  Each  window  is  divided 
by  a  central  mullion  and  is  widely  splayed  inwards. 

The  rose  window  over  the  lancets  of  the  middle 
bay  consists  of  an  outer  circle  of  twenty-four  and 
an  inner  circle  of  twelve  radiating  lights,  the  mul- 
lions  of  which  are  received  on  a  foliated  circle  in 
the  centre.  This  is  Wyatt's  work,  for,  as  we  have 
seen,  he  removed  the  fine  Early  English  window 
from  this  place. 

The  Cloisters  and  the  Chapter-House  we  find 
on  the  south  side  of  the  Cathedral.  The  cloisters 
were  begun  in  1388-1406  and  completed  about  1438. 
They  are  much  altered  and  restored.  From  them 
various  halls  of  the  monks  could  be  entered. 

From  the  eastern  alley  we  pass  into  the  Chapter- 
House,  a  restoration  of  what  was  considered  the 
finest  Norman  Chapter-House  in  England  when 
Wyatt  pulled  it  down. 


DURHAM  :  NEVILLE  SCREEN 


RIPON 

DEDICATION:  ST.  PETER  AND  ST.  WILFRID.  FORMERLY  A 
COLLEGIATE  CHURCH  SERVED  BY  AUGUSTINIAN  CANONS. 

SPECIAL  FEATURES:  NAVE;  ST.  WILFRID'S  NEEDLE;  ROOD- 
SCREEN;  EAST  WINDOW;  CHOIR-STALLS. 

RIPON  did  not  become  a  cathedral  until  1836.  From 
the  Eighth  Century  until  that  date  it  was  in  the 
diocese  of  York,  and  the  Archbishop  of  York,  hav- 
ing his  throne  in  the  choir,  gave  the  church  great 
importance. 

£  Ripon  monastery  was  established  in  the  Seventh 
Century.  The  monks  came  from  Melrose  Abbey 
on  the  Tweed  and  represented  the  Christianity  that 
was  introduced  into  the  north  by  way  of  Ireland 
through  St.  Columba's  missionaries.  Their  great 
abbot  was  Wilfrid,  who  became  Bishop  of  Nor- 
thumbria.  In  669  he  began  a  stone  monastery,  on  the 
site,  in  all  probability,  of  the  earlier  one;  and  this 
was  dedicated  in  670  to  St.  Peter.  Wilfrid  died  in 
709  and  was  buried  in  his  church  at  Ripon.  Miracles 
took  place  at  his  tomb,  which  drew  such  large 
crowds  that  the  monks  tried  to  restrain  them.  In 
948,  when  Eadred  was  quelling  a  rebellion  in  Nor- 
thumbria,  "  was  that  famed  minster  burned  at  Ripon 
which  St.  Wilfrid  built." 

The  next  date  of  interest  is  the  rebuilding  of  the 
church  by  Roger  de  Pont  1'Eveque  (1154-1181), 
the  great  rival  of  Thomas  a  Becket.  It  was  a  cruci- 
form edifice;  its  nave  was  without  aisles.  Of  this, 
the  two  transepts,  half  of  the  central  tower,  and 
249 


250  RIPON 

portions  of  the  nave  and  choir  remain.  Ripon  is, 
therefore,  one  of  the  most  important  examples  ex- 
tant of  the  transition  from  Norman  to  Early  Eng- 
lish. 

Archbishop  Walter  de  Gray  (1216-1255)  trans- 
lated the  relics  of  St.  Wilfrid  to  a  new  shrine  in 
1224. 

The  west  front  with  its  two  towers  was  built 
about  this  time ;  and  the  eastern  part  of  the  choir 
was  rebuilt  in  the  Decorated  style  by  Archbishop 
John  Romanus  (1286-1296). 

The  church  was  used  as  a  refuge  and  fortress 
by  the  people  of  Ripon  when  the  Scots  invaded  it 
in  1317.  Many  necessary  repairs  were  made  under 
Archbishop  de  Melton  (1317-1340).  The  central 
tower  fell  in  1450  and  had  to  be  rebuilt;  also  the 
east  side  of  the  south  transept  and  the  south  side 
of  the  choir.  The  present  rood-screen  and  canopied 
stalls  were  erected  at  the  end  of  the  Fifteenth  Cen- 
tury. Then  the  nave  was  rebuilt ;  but  progress 
was  delayed  by  the  outbreak  of  a  plague  in  1506. 
St.  Wilfrid's  Shrine  was  demolished  by  Henry 
VIII.  In  1593  the  central  spire  was  injured  by 
lightning.  During  the  Civil  Wars  the  Parliamen- 
tary soldiers  shattered  the  splendid  glass  of  the 
east  window  and  did  other  damage.  In  1660  the 
central  spire  fell  and  injured  some  of  the  canopies 
of  the  choir-stalls ;  and,  therefore,  in  1664,  the  west- 
ern spires  were  removed  for  fear  that  they  might 
fall  also.  Many  repairs  were  made  in  1829.  Resto- 
rations on  a  large  scale  were  undertaken  by  Sir 
Gilbert  Scott  in  1862-1870. 

The  West  Front  is  Early  English.  It  has  two 
square  towers  and  a  central  gable.  String-courses 
divide  the  fagade  into  four  stages.  In  the  first  are 


RIPON  251 

three  doorways  adorned  with  gables  and  crosses. 
The  central  door,  which  is  larger  than  the  others, 
consists  of  five  orders  and  five  triple  shafts.  The 
two  others  have  three  orders  and  three  shafts.  Some 
of  the  mouldings  are  filled  with  the  dog-tooth  orna- 
ment. All  three  doors  open  into  the  nave.  Be- 
tween the  gables  spouts  issue  from  the  heads  of 
animals.  Above  the  doors  comes  a  row  of  five 
lancet  windows  and  above  them  a  group  of  three 
small  lancets  placed  very  high.  The  towers  are 
ornamented  with  arcades  and  lancets,  buttresses, 
parapets  and  pinnacles.  The  ten  bells  hang  in  the 
south  tower. 

The  Central  Tower  is  interesting  because  it  is 
composed  of  two  styles  of  architecture.  On  the 
north  and  west  sides  it  is  Twelfth  Century  and  on 
the  two  others  Perpendicular.  The  windows  on  all 
sides  are  round-headed.  The  dog-tooth  ornament 
appears  in  the  moulding.  Ripon,  though  finely  pro- 
portioned, is  somewhat  cold  and  severe  in  general 
appearance.  The  north  transept  with  its  round- 
headed  windows  and  its  interesting  doorway,  with 
a  rather  curious  inner  arch  and  capitals  of  carved 
foliage,  is  a  good  example  of  the  Twelfth  Century. 
The  south  side  of  the  nave  is  preferred  to  the  north 
side  by  critics.  In  the  south  transept  we  have 
Archbishop  Roger's  work  again.  The  doorway  is 
elaborate.  The  foliage  on  the  capitals  of  the  col- 
umns approaches  the  Early  English  style.  The 
lintel  is  square.  The  south  side  of  the  choir  is 
partly  hidden  by  the  Chapter-House  with  the  Lady- 
Loft  above.  The  buttresses  that  follow  are  of  the 
Twelfth  Century.  The  three  western  bays  are  Per- 
pendicular; the  others,  Decorated.  The  two  flying- 
buttresses  are  like  those  on  the  north  side.  Gar- 


252  RIPON 

goyles  appear  at  intervals  along  the  string  of 
the  roof.  The  east  end  is  Decorated.  Its  chief 
feature  is  the  splendid  window,  of  which  the  tracery 
alone  remains. 

Entering  the  west  doorway  we  look  upon  one  of 
the  great  naves  of  the  Perpendicular  period,  rank- 
ing next  in  size  after  York,  Winchester,  Chichester 
and  after  St.  Paul's  in  width. 

"  Among  very  late  Gothic  buildings  there  are  few  in- 
deed which  are  of  so  good  a  quality  as  this  nave  of  Ripon, 
which,  like  the  late  church  towers  of  Somerset,  shows  that 
Mediaeval  art  took  long  to  die  out  in  regions  remote  from 
London.  It  is,  indeed,  the  architecture  of  the  days  of 
Agincourt  rather  than  of  the  eve  of  the  English  Renais- 
sance. The  pillars  are  characteristic  of  the  Perpendicular 
style,  their  section  being  a  square  with  a  semicircle  pro- 
jecting from  each  side,  and  the  corners  hollowed.  Their 
bases  have  complex  plinths  of  considerable  height  and 
are  polygonal,  but  follow  roughly  the  form  of  the  pillar, 
and  the  mouldings,  as  usual  in  this  style,  overhang  the 
plinth.  The  capitals,  with  small  mouldings  and  many 
angles,  are  of  somewhat  the  same  form  as  the  bases. 
On  the  westernmost  complete  pillar  of  the  north  arcade 
are  two  shields,  charged  respectively  with  the  arms  of 
Ripon  (a  horn)  and  of  Pigott  of  Clotherholme.  The 
arches,  instead  of  being  of  that  depressed  form  which  is  so 
common  in  late  work,  are  very  beautifully  proportioned, 
and  their  mouldings  are  bold,  numerous  and  well-cut. 
There  is  no  triforium;  but  a  passage,  at  a  slightly  lower 
level  than  in  Archbishop  Roger's  bays,  runs  below  the 
great  clerestory  windows,  which  were  once,  no  doubt, 
gorgeous  with  stained  glass.  Their  arches  are  moulded, 
but  the  splay  is  left  plain.  The  roof-shafts,  which  are 
in  clusters  of  three  and  have  fillets  upon  them,  spring 
from  semi-octagonal  corbels,  and  where  each  cluster  passes 
the  string-course  there  is  an  angel  holding  a  shield.  A 
sign  of  decadence  may  be  found,  perhaps,  in  the  way  in 
which  the  hood-moulds  of  the  windows  intersect  with  these 
shafts.  Though  the  two  sides  of  the  nave  are  not  quite  of 
the  same  date,  they  are  almost  alike,  but  for  some  slight 


RIPON  253 

differences  in  the  capitals,  the  arch-mouldings,  and  the 
hollows  on  the  pillars;  the  builders  feeling,  doubtless,  that 
any  marked  variation  would  mar  the  general  perspective 
— a  consideration  which,  of  course,  could  not  bind  them  in 
designing  the  north  aisle.  The  original  Perpendicular  roof 
may  have  resembled  that  which  now  covers  the  transepts. 
About  1829  Blore  put  up  an  almost  flat  ceiling  of  deal. 
The  present  oaken  vault,  by  Sir  Gilbert  Scott,  was  copied 
from  that  of  the  transepts  of  York  Minster,  and  is  adapted 
to  the  old  roof-shafts,  between  which  have  been  added 
angel  corbels  of  wood.  As  the  ribs  intersect  near  their 
springing,  they  weave  a  network  over  the  whole  vault,  and 
the  carved  bosses  at  the  intersections  amount  to  107.  A 
passing  notice  is  merited  by  the  pulpit,  which  is  Jacobean." 
-(G  H.) 

The  two  great  tower  arches  under  the  west 
towers  are  Early  English;  those  of  the  central 
tower  are  round.  Their  great  piers  are  composed 
of  clusters  of  engaged  shafts.  Massive  arches  also 
mark  the  opening  of  each  aisle  of  the  nave  into  the 
transept.  In  the  south  aisle  stands  a  blue  marble 
Font,  and  near  it  an  older  one,  probably  of  the 
Twelfth  Century.  Tradition  says  that  the  altar- 
tomb  here  is  that  of  an  Irish  prince  who  brought 
home  from  Palestine  a  tame  lion.  On  the  bas-relief 
a  lion,  a  kneeling  man  and  two  birds  are  repre- 
sented, which  gives  cause  for  the  story.  The  work 
is  presumably  of  the  Fourteenth  Century.  Above, 
the  font  we  can  see  the  only  Mediaeval  glass  in  the 
Cathedral — fragments  of  Fourteenth  Century  work 
left  from  the  wreckage  of  the  Puritan  soldiers. 
St.  Peter,  St.  Paul  and  St.  Andrew  will  easily  be 
recognized.  There  is  also  a  shield  bearing  the 
English  arms  in  this  window.  In  the  south  wall 
of  the  nave  there  is  a  fine  Piscina  dating  from  the 
Twelfth  Century.  At  this  point  we  shall  have  to 
interrupt  our  walk  through  the  Cathedral  to  ex- 


254  RIPON 

amine  St.  Wilfrid's  Needle,  the  popular  name  for 
the  Saxon  Crypt. 

"  From  a  trap-door  in  the  pavement  below  the  piscina 
a  flight  of  twelve  steps  winds  down  into  a  flat-roofed  and 
descending  passage  2^2  feet  wide  and  slightly  over  6  feet 
high,  which,  running  a  few  feet  northwards  and  bending 
at  right  angles  round  the  south-west  tower  pier,  extends 
eastward  for  about  10  yards,  with  a  descent  of  one  step 
near  the  end,  and  terminates  in  a  blank  wall.  There  is  a 
square-headed  niche  at  the  turn  and  a  round-headed  niche 
at  the  end,  both  meant,  doubtless,  to  hold  lights.  Three 
feet  from  the  end  a  round-headed  doorway,  2  feet  wide 
and  over  6  feet  high,  opens  northwards  with  a  descent  of 
two  more  steps,  into  a  barrel-vaulted  chamber,  n  feet 
5  inches  long  from  east  to  west,  7  feet  7  inches  wide  and 
9  feet  10  inches  high.  In  the  north  wall  of  this  chamber, 
and  approached  by  three  wide  steps,  is  the  celebrated 
St.  Wilfrid's  Needle,  a  round-headed  aperture  pierced 
through  into  a  passage  that  runs  behind.  This  aperture 
was  connected  with  one  of  those  superstitions  that  so 
often  flourished  before  the  Reformation  in  notable  centres 
of  religion,  and  ability  to  pass  through  it,  or  '  thread  the 
needle/  was  regarded  as  a  test  of  female  chastity;  but 
it  was,  of  course,  in  the  later  middle  ages  that  this 
superstition  arose,  and  the  '  needle '  (or  rather  needle's 
eye)  is  evidently  only  one  of  the  original  niches  with  the 
back  knocked  out.  Of  these  niches  (which  again  were 
doubtless  for  lights)  there  are  four  in  the  chamber  be- 
sides the  'needle,' — one  in  each  wall, — and,  like  the  niche 
at  the  end  of  the  passage  of  entrance,  they  all  have  semi- 
circular heads,  each  cut  in  a  single  stone.  That  in  the 
west  wall  has  a  hole  or  cup  at  the  bottom,  probably  to  hold 
oil  in  which  a  wick  might  float,  while  the  others  (except 
the  '  needle ')  have  a  sort  of  funnel  at  the  top,  doubt- 
less to  catch  the  soot  from  lamps."— (C.  H.) 

The  North  Transept  is  a  fine  specimen  of  the 
transitional  from  Norman  to  Early  English,  and 
is  almost  in  its  original  condition.  It  is  34  feet 
wide,  or  52  feet  including  the  aisle.  Here  we  find 
a  stone  pulpit  of  the  Perpendicular  period,  its  five 


c 
W 
U 


RIPON  255 

sides  embellished  with  panelling.  At  the  north  wall 
was  probably  situated  the  Markenfield  Chantry; 
for  the  aisle  is  still  called  by  this  name.  Two  family 
tombs,  remain. 

The  South  Transept  is  slightly  narrower  than 
the  north.  Parts  of  it  were  altered  in  the  Perpen- 
dicular period.  In  the  aisle  we  find  the  Mallory 
Chapel,  where  members  of  the  Studley  family  are 
buried.  The  northern  bay  is  filled  by  a  stone  stair- 
way, at  the  top  of  which  are  two  doors.  One  opens 
into  a  chamber  containing  the  bellows  of  the  organ 
and  the  other  into  the  Lady-Loft,  or  Library.  This 
stairway  was  erected  by  Sir  Gilbert  Scott  to  re- 
place an  older  one. 

The  elegant  Rood  Screen  is  of  the  Fifteenth 
Century.  It  contains  a  central  doorway  sur- 
mounted by  a  crocketed  ogee  hood,  beneath  which  is 
a  mutilated  carving  of  The  Trinity.  Four  large 
niches  stand  on  either  side  of  the  door  and  a  row 
of  twenty-four  smaller  ones  runs  above  these. 
Cinquefoils  and  feathered  cusps  decorate  the  whole 
screen,  which  is  twelve  feet  thick.  In  the  passage 
through  it  a  door  on  the  right  opens  into  a  winding 
staircase  to  the  loft  above  and  one  on  the  left  into  a 
deep  pit. 

We  pass  on  to  the  Choir.  This  is  of  three  styles : 
the  first  three  bays  on  the  north  side  are  Twelfth 
Century;  the  first  three  on  the  south  side,  Perpen- 
dicular ;  and  the  last  three  on  both  sides,  Decorated. 
The  triforium  windows  are  filled  with  glass. 

"  The  great  window  in  the  central  compartment  is  one  of 
the  finest  examples  of  Geometrical  tracery,  if  not  one  of 
the  largest  windows,  in  England.  It  is  over  50  feet  high, 
is  25  feet  wide,  and  has  seven  lights.  Of  these  the  three  at 
either  end  are  comprised  under  a  sub-arch,  in  the  head  of 


256  RIPON 

which  are  three  cinquefoiled  circles,  while  the  central  light 
of  the  seven  is  surmounted  by  an  arch,  not  so  high  as  its 
neighbours,  but  impaling  upon  its  acute  point  a  huge  circle 
which  fills  the  head  of  the  window  and  contains  six 
trefoils  radiating  from  its  centre.  The  arch  of  this 
superb  window  is  rather  acutely  pointed  and  richly 
moulded,  and  has  two  very  slender  shafts  worked  on  the 
stones  of  either  jamb,  with  foliage  on  their  capitals. 

"  The  huge  window,  which  is  not  splayed,  has  a  deep 
rear-vault  bounded  by  a  massive  rib,  whose  outer  edge 
rests  on  slender  engaged  shafts  with  foliage  on  their  capi- 
tals, while  the  inner  edge  ends  in  bunches  of  foliage. 
Between  this  rib  and  the  tracery  is  another  rib  springing 
on  the  north  side  from  a  bunch  of  foliage  and  on  the 
south  from  a  grotesque  corbel.  The  inner  arch  has  slender 
shafts,  and  so  has  the  moulding  next  to  the  tracery,  but 
in  the  latter  case  the  capitals  are  plain.  Few  acts  of 
vandalism  are  more  to  be  regretted,  probably,  than  the 
destruction  in  1643  of  the  magnificent  Fourteenth  Century 
glass  which  once  occupied  this  window.  The  present  very 
poor  glass,  by  Wailes  of  Newcastle,  commemorates  the 
revival  of  the  See  of  Ripon  in  1863. 

"  Over  the  window  may  be  seen  the  mark  of  one  of  the 
earlier  roofs.  The  choir  is  thought  to  have  received  a 
groined  vault  of  oak  after  the  rebuilding  of  the  east 
end,  but  this  vault  was  probably  renewed  more  than  once, 
especially  after  the  accident  to  the  tower  about  1450,  and 
the  fall  of  the  spire  in  1660.  Sir  Gilbert  Scott  found 
a  vault  of  lath  and  plaster  (probably  the  work  of  Blore) 
for  which  he  substituted  the  present  roof,  a  groined 
wooden  vault,  admirable  in  its  lofty  pitch  and  judicious 
colouring.  Its  chief  feature,  however,  is  the  splendid 
bosses  along  the  ridge,  which  are  survivals  from  either  the 
Decorated  or  a  subsequent  Perpendicular  vault.  In  some 
of  these  bosses  the  figures  are  five  feet  long." — (C.  H.) 

The  Choir-Stalls  are  splendid  specimens  of  the 
Fifteenth  Century,  with  very  ornate  canopies  of 
tabernacle-work  bristling  with  spires  and  pinnacles. 

"There  are  ribbed  vaults  under  the  canopies,  and  upon 
the  pendants  in  front  are  hovering  angels.  The  canopies 


RIPON  257 

on  the  south  side  were  wrecked  by  the  fall  of  the  spire  in 
1660,  and  those  over  the  eight  easternmost  stalls  were 
then  reconstructed  in  the  '  Jacobean '  style  with  a  gallery 
above,  while  of  the  canopies  now  over  the  other  nine, 
eight  are  said  to  have  been  brought  across  from  the  east- 
ern end  of  the  north  range,  where  more  Jacobean  canopies 
were  erected  in  their  place.  Sir  Gilbert  Scott  removed  all 
tkis  Seventeenth  Century  work  and  set  up  reproductions 
of  the  Fifteenth  Century  design.  Thus  the  eight  eastern- 
most canopies  on  either  side  are  modern.  The  misereres 
and  arms  of  the  stalls  are  exquisitely  carved. 

"The  subjects  upon  the  former  are  as  follows,  be- 
ginning from  the  archway  in  the  screen : — 

"North  side: — (i)  (CANON  IN  RESIDENCE)  lion  at- 
tacked by  dogs;  (2)  dragon  attacked  by  dogs;  (3)  angel 
with  shield;  (4)  dragon  and  birds;  (5)  hart's-tongue  ferns; 
(6)  conventional  flowers;  (7)  ape  attacked  by  lion;  (8) 
vine;  (9)  birds  pecking  fruit;  (10)  antelopes;  (n)  fox 
preaching  to  goose  and  cock;  (12)  fox  running  off  with 
geese;  (13)  fox  caught  by  dogs;  (14)  dragons  fighting; 
(15)  fruit  and  flowers  issuing  from  inverted  head;  (16) 
man  holding  club  with  oak  leaves  and  acorns;  (17) 
(MAYOR'S  STALL)  griffin  catching  rabbit. 

"  South  side: — (i)  (DEAN)  angel  with  book;  (2)  angel 
with  shield  bearing  date  1489;  (3)  lion  versus  griffin;  (4) 
griffin  devouring  a  human  leg;  (5)  owl;  (6)  mermaid  with 
mirror  and  hair-brush ;  (7)  two  pigs  dancing  to  bagpipe 
played  by  a  third ;  (8)  Jonah  thrown  to  the  whale ;  (9) 
man  wheeling  another  who  holds  a  reed  and  a  bag;  (10) 
fox  caught  carrying  off  goose  by  dog  and  by  woman  with 
distaff;  (n)  winged  animal;  (12)  hart,  gorged  and 
chained;  (13)  pelican  feeding  young;  (14)  Jonah  emerging 
from  the  whale;  (15)  Samson  carrying  the  gates;  (if) 
head  (modern);  (17)  (BISHOP'S  THRONE)  Caleb  and 
Joshua  carrying  the  grapes  and  watched  by  Anakim. 

"Most  of  these  misereres  have  exquisite  convention:  1 
flowers  (especially  roses)  cut  upon  them  in  addition  10 
the  figure-subjects.  The  desks  in  front  of  the  stalls  hav 
rich  finials,  and  their  panelled  fronts  form  the  backs  of  a 
lower  tier  of  seats,  the  arms  of  which  are  supported  each 
on  a  square  shaft  set  diamondwise.  In  front  of  these 


258  RIPON 

lower  seats  the  desks  again  have  carved  finials  and  panelled 
fronts  and  on  those  parallel  with  the  Rood-Screen  the 
tracery  is  distinctly  Flamboyant.  The  finial  before  the 
stall  of  the  Canon  in  Residence  has  a  griffin  attached  to  it 
and  that  in  front  of  the  Dean's  stall  a  lion.  Before  both 
these  stalls  the  ends  of  the  two  tiers  of  desks  are  richly 
carved.  The  Bishop's  throne  and  Mayor's  stall  have  each 
a  canopied  niche  on  the  exterior  toward  the  east,  and  two 
small  apertures  in  the  east  side  to  enable  the  occupant  to 
see  the  altar,  and  in  front  of  these  two  stalls  the  ends  of 
the  two  tiers  of  desks  are  again  richly  carved.  The 
Mayor's  stall  is  wider  than  the  others,  and  attached  to 
the  finial  in  front  is  a  grotesque  ape,  beneath  which  the 
supporting  shaft  is  of  open  work.  The  end  of  this  desk 
displays  a  shield  charged  with  two  keys  in  saltire,  for 
the  see  of  York. 

"  The  Bishop's  throne  was  originally  occupied  by  the 
Archbishops  of  York.  The  Jacobean  canopy,  which  suc- 
ceeded that  of  the  Fifteenth  Century,  comprised  the  space 
of  two  stalls,  as  did  also  the  modern  structure  by  which 
it  was  itself  succeeded  and  which  is  now  in  the  Consistory 
Court.  The  present  canopy  resembles  those  of  the  other 
stalls  but  is  higher  and  more  elaborate.  Upon  the  back 
of  the  throne  inside  is  a  small  mitre.  The  finial  in  front 
consists  of  an  elephant  carrying  a  man  in  his  trunk,  and 
bearing  on  his  back  a  castle  filled  with  armed  soldiery,  and 
in  front  of  the  elephant  is  a  centaur  (renewed),  the  shaft 
under  which  is  again  of  open-work.  The  end  of  this  desk 
displays  a  large  mitre  above  a  shield  charged  with  the 
three  stars  of  St.  Wilfrid  and  supported  by  two  angels, 
between  whom  is  a  scroll  with  the  date  of  1494." 

The  altar  stands  against  the  east  wall  of  the 
presbytery.  The  Reredos  is  a  restoration  of  the 
original  Decorated  one.  The  Sedilia  and  a  Piscina 
are  placed  on  the  south  side. 

Sir  Gilbert  Scott  considered  them  Late  Decorated 
work,  but  they  have  rather  the  appearance  of  Late 
Perpendicular. 

Some  historians  think  that  the  shrine  of  St.  Wil- 
frid stood  in  the  east  end  of  the  north-choir-aisle. 


RIPON  259 

The  .remains  were  kept  in  a  superb  coffer,  which 
was  carried  in  processions. 

Passing  down  the  south-choir-aisle  from  the  east 
we  first  come  to  the  vestry ;  then  to  the  Chapter- 
House;  and  then  to  the  Mallory  Chapel.  A  round- 
headed  door  in  the  west  wall  of  the  Chapter-House 
opens  upon  a  stairway  that  leads  into  another  Crypt 
that  belonged  to  Norman  times. 

The  Chapter-House  is  of  the  Twelfth  Century. 
Above  it  is  a  Lady-Chapel,  called  here  the  Lady- 
Loft.  It  is  unusual  to  find  a  Lady-Chapel  on  the 
south  side  of  the  Choir  and  on  an  upper  floor.  It 
dates  from  about  the  middle  of  the  Fifteenth  Cen- 
tury. It  is  now  used  as  a  Library. 


YORK  MINSTER 

DEDICATION:  ST.  PETER.    SERVED  BY  SECULAR  CANONS. 
SPECIAL  FEATURES:  WEST  FRONT;  CHOIR;  CHAPTER-HOUSE; 
WINDOWS. 

YORK,  "  the  King  of  Cathedrals/'  is  one  of  the 
noblest  and  best  examples  of  Gothic  architecture. 
In  form  and  proportion,  in  detail  of  ornament,  in 
exterior  and  interior,  the  famous  Minster  takes 
rank  with  the  greatest  ecclesiastical  buildings. 
Not  only  is  it  enormous — a  forest  of  architecture — 
but  it  contains,  perhaps,  more  ancient  stained  glass 
than  any  other  building  in  the  world. 

"Other  English  cathedrals  are  more  finely  placed,  sev- 
eral are  richer  in  ornament,  one  or  two  have  a  more  deli- 
cately varied  outline.  None  are  so  stately  and  so  mag- 
nificent; and  there  is  hardly  a  church  in  Europe  that 
appears  so  vast  as  the  Minster,  viewed  from  the  north. 

"  The  low-pitched  roof  of  the  Minster,  the  solidity  of 
the  central  tower,  the  simple  and  tranquil  front  of  the 
north  transept,  give  the  building  an  air  of  masculine  and 
stately  repose,  and  of  perfect  finish  seldom  to  be  found 
in  foreign  churches ;  while  the  apparent  uniformity  of 
style,  though  the  architecture  is  of  three  different  periods, 
frees  it  from  the  picturesque  inconsequence  of  many  Eng- 
lish cathedrals.  Yet  neither  inside  nor  outside  does  the 
Minster  appear  to  be  the  expression  of  the  spiritual  aspira- 
tions of  a  people.  It  represents  rather  a  secular  magnifi- 
cence, the  temporal  power  of  a  Church  that  has  played 
a  great  part  in  the  history  of  the  nation.  The  archbishops 
of  York  have  been  forced  by  circumstances  to  be  militant 
prelates,  contending  with  Canterbury  for  precedence,  lead- 
ing armies  against  the  Scotch,  sometimes  even  heading 
rebellions  against  the  king ;  and  in  their  cathedral  they  have 
expressed  their  ambition  and  their  pride." — (A.  C.-B.) 

260 


YORK  MINSTER  261 

The  visitor  who  has  a  short  time  to  visit  York 
Minster  will  study  the  west  front,  the  choir,  the 
Chapter-House,  and  the  windows. 

"  If  the  beauty  in  the  form  of  our  flos  florum  is  due  to 
its  architecture,  very  much  of  its  beauty  in  colour  depends 
on  the  glowing  and  mellowed  tints  with  which  its  win- 
dows are  filled.  But  it  is  a  large  subject  to  enter  upon, 
for  as  regards  quantity  there  are  no  less  than  one  hun- 
dred and  three  windows  in  the  Minster,  most  of  them 
entirely,  and  the  remainder,  only  excepting  the  tracery, 
filled  with  real  old  Mediaeval  glass.  Some  of  the  win- 
dows, too,  are  of  great  size.  The  east  window,  which  is 
entirely  filled  with  old  glass,  consists  of  nine  lights  and 
measures  seventy-eight  feet  in  height,  thirty-one  feet 
two  inches  in  width.  The  two  choir  transept  windows, 
that  in  the  north  transept  to  St.  William,  and  the  south 
to  St.  Cuthbert,  measure  seventy-three  feet  by  sixteen 
feet.  They  have  both  been  restored,  the  latter  very  re- 
cently, but  by  far  the  greater  part  of  them  is  old  glass. 
On  each  side  of  the  choir,  the  aisles  contain  nine  win- 
dows measuring  fourteen  feet  nine  inches  by  twelve  feet, 
only  the  tracery  lights  of  which  are  modern;  the  same 
number  of  windows  fill  the  clerestory  above,  the  greater 
portions  of  which  are  ancient. 

"  The  famous  window  of  the  north  transept,  the  Five 
Sisters,  consists  of  five  lights,  each  measuring  fifty-three 
feet  six  inches  by  five  feet  one  inch,  and  is  entirely  of 
old  glass.  There  are  six  windows  in  the  north  and  six 
in  the  south  aisles  of  the  nave,  with  only  a  little  modern 
glass  in  the  tracery.  The  superb  Flamboyant  window 
at  the  west  end  of  the  centre  aisle  measures  fifty-six  feet 
three  inches  by  twenty-five  feet  four  inches,  and  consists, 
I  believe,  entirely  of  old  glass,  except  the  faces  of  the 
figures.  The  clerestory  windows  are  studded  with  ancient 
shields,  but  a  great  part  of  the  glass  is,  I  fancy,  modern; 
those  of  the  vestibule,  eight  in  number,  measuring  thirty-two 
feet  by  eighteen,  are  of  old  glass,  including  the  tracery 
lights.  The  east  window  has  been  clumsily  restored  by 
Willement.  In  the  side  windows  of  the  transept  there  is 
some  old  glass,  and  the  great  rose  window  over  the  south 
entrance  still  retains  much  of  the  old  glass;  while  far 


262  YORK  MINSTER 

overhead  in  the  tower  there  are  some  really  fine  bold 
designs  of  late,  but  genuine,  design  and  execution.  Alto- 
gether, according  to  actual  measurements,  there  are  25,531 
superficial  feet  of  Mediaeval  glass  in  the  Minster,  i.e.,  more 
than  half  an  acre — a  possession,  we  should  think,  un- 
equalled by  any  church  in  England,  if  not  in  Christendom." 
-(P.-C) 

York,  or,  to  use  its  older  name,  Eboracum,  had 
been  an  important  British  settlement  long  before 
the  Romans  made  it  the  principal  seat  of  their 
power  in  the  north  between  the  years  70  and  80 
A.D.  It  continued  to  be  a  Roman  court  until 
the  Emperor  Honorius  left  Britain  in  409.  Hadrian 
lived  here ;  Severus  and  Constantine  Chlorus 
died  here ;  and  here  Constantine  the  Great  was  pro- 
claimed Emperor.  Many  churches  in  the  vicinity 
were  dedicated  to  the  latter's  mother,  St.  Helena, 
the  legendary  discoverer  of  the  True  Cross. 

York  was  therefore  the  great  military  post  and 
the  great  ecclesiastical  seat  in  the  north  of  Eng- 
land. 

The  question  of  precedence  between  York  and 
Canterbury  arose  as  early  as  the  days  of  St.  Au- 
gustine. Gregory  the  Great  instructed  the  latter 
to  appoint  twelve  bishops,  one  of  whom  was  to 
b<*  the  Bishop  of  York,  who  was  to  ordain  other 
bishops  in  the  north  of  England.  He  was  to  be 
subordinate  to  Augustine ;  but  subsequently  prece- 
dence should  be  determined  by  priority  of  consecra- 
tion. This  occasioned  dissensions  for  centuries, 
culminating  in  the  murder  of  Thomas  ja  Becket 
(see  page  2),  which  Roger  de  Pont  TEveque  is 
said  to  have  instigated.  It  was  this  Archbishop 
of  York  who,  refusing  to  take  a  lower  seat  at  the 
Council  of  Westminster  in  1176,  sat  himself  in  the 
lap  of  Becket's  successor  only  to  be  pulled  off  and 


YORK  MINSTER  263 

soundly  beaten.  The  question  was  not  finally  settled 
until  the  time  of  John  of  Thorsby  (1352-1373), 
when  Innocent  VI.  determined  that  the  Archbishop 
of  Canterbury  should  be  styled  Primate  of  All  Eng- 
land and  the  Archbishop  of  York,  Primate  of  Eng- 
land. 

The  first  archbishop  was  Paulinus,  Bishop  of 
Rochester  (see  page  33),  who  accompanied  Ethel- 
burga,  daughter  of  the  King  of  Kent,  when  she 
went  to  Northumbria  to  marry  King  Edwin.  Ed- 
iwin  embraced  Christianity  and  was  baptised  in  627, 
by  Paulinus,  in  a  temporary  wooden  church  on  the 
site  of  the  present  glorious  York  Minster.  Imme- 
diately afterwards  Edwin  began  to  build  a  stone 
church  in  this  same  place,  which  he  dedicated  to 
St.  Peter.  This  church  was  repaired  by  the  next 
archbishop — the  great  Wilfrid — about  669. 

When  Thomas  of  Bayeux,  the  first  Norman  arch- 
bishop, arrived  in  1070,  he  found  the  Cathedral  in 
ruins,  owing  to  the  Danish  invasion  and  to  the  wars 
of  the  Conqueror ;  and,  if  William  of  Malmsbury 
may  be  believed,  Thomas  began  the  church  from 
its  foundations  and  also  finished  it. 

Roger  de  Pont  TEveque  (1154-1181)  rebuilt  the 
choir. 

About  this  time  York  acquired  its  patron  saint, 
William  Fitzherbert,  great-grandson  of  the  Con- 
queror, who  became  Bishop  of  York  in  1143.  Ex- 
pelled from  office  in  1147,  he  was  restored  in  1153. 
On  his  return  he  performed  a  miracle  and  died 
almost  immediately  afterwards,  so  suddenly,  in 
fact,  that  he  was  thought  to  have  been  poisoned 
out  of  the  holy  chalice.  The  monks  buried  him  in 
the  Cathedral.  His  tomb  attracted  pilgrims  because 
of  the  marvellous  cures.  St.  William  was  canon- 


264  YORK  MINSTER 

ised  in  1284;  and  in  that  year  his  relics  were  trans- 
lated from  the  nave  to  the  choir.  Edward  I.  and 
Queen  Eleanor  were  present  and  gave  jewels  to  the 
shrine,  which  was  placed  at  the  eastern  end  of  the 
nave  under  a  huge  canopy.  St.  William's  head 
was  preserved  in  a  silver  reliquary. 

There  is  now  no  Norman  work  visible  in  York 
Minster  except  in  the  crypt  and  in  parts  of  the  nave 
and  tower.  In  1200,  however,  the  nave,  choir, 
towers,  and  transepts  were  Norman.  About  1230 
it  was  decided  to  rebuild  the  transepts  on  a  big 
scale.  Walter  de  Grey  (1216-1265)  began  the  south 
transept  (Early  English)  ;  and  he  lies  there  under 
an  arch,  in  a  splendid  tomb.  John  Romeyn,  treas- 
urer of  York,  built  the  north  transept  and  also  an 
Early  English  tower  to  replace  the  Early  Norman 
tower.  His  son,  John  Romeyn,  also  archbishop 
from  1286  to  1296,  began  the  new  nave. 

John  of  Thorsby  (1352-1373)  began  the  present 
choir  in  1361.  The  work  was  started  at  the  extreme 
east  end.  Thorsby  was  a  Yorkshireman,  who 

"  had  the  further  development  of  the  glories  of  the  Minster 
thoroughly  at  heart.  At  once  he  sacrificed  his  palace  at 
Sherburn  to  provide  materials  for  an  appropriate  Lady- 
Chapel,  gave  successive  munificent  donations  of  <£ibo  at 
each  of  the  great  festivals  of  the  Christian  year,  and  called 
on  clergy  and  laity  alike  to  submit  cheerfully  to  stringent 
self-denial  to  supply  the  funds. 

"  During  his  tenure  of  office  of  twenty-three  years  the 
Lady-Chapel  was  completed,  a  chaste  and  dignified  speci- 
men of  early  Perpendicular  style,  into  which  the  Decorated 
gradually  blended  after  the  year  1360,  and  unique  in  its 
glorious  east  window,  seventy-eight  feet  high  and  thirty- 
three  feet  wide,  still  the  largest  painted  window  in  the 
world,  enriched  with  its  double  mullions,  which  give  such 
strength  and  lightness  to  its  graceful  proportions,  and  with 
its  elaborate  glass  executed  by  Thornton  of  Coventry,  at 


YORK  MINSTER  265 

the  beginning  of  the  following  century.  But  Roger's  choir, 
which  was  still  standing,  must  now  have  looked  sadly 
dwarfed  between  the  lofty  Lady-Chapel  and  the  tower 
and  transepts." — (P.-C.) 

Edward  I.  made  York  his  capital  during  the  war 
with  Scotland,  to  the  expense  of  which  the  arch- 
bishop and  clergy  gave  one-fifth  of  their  income. 
Parliament  assembled  there  in  1318.  The  arch- 
bishops were  great  politicians  and  intriguers,  now 
plotting  against  the  king  and  now  supporting  him ; 
great  military  leaders,  sometimes  defeated,  like  Mel- 
ton at  Myton-on-Swale,  where  he  led  10,000  men 
against  the  Scots,  or  victorious,  like  William  La 
Zouche  (1342-1352)  at  Neville's  Cross  near  Dur- 
ham ;  and  nearly  always  great  builders  and  bene- 
factors of  the  Cathedral.  Richard  Scrope's  rebel- 
lion is  famous.  Lord  Chancellor  of  England  and 
Bishop  of  Lichfield  before  he  became  Bishop  of 
York  in  1398,  Scrope  was  advanced  by  Richard  II. 
In  1405  he  headed  a  rebellion  and  was  captured. 
The  Chief  Justice  refused  to  try  him.  He  was 
taken  to  his  own  palace  at  Bishopthorpe,  condemned 
to  death  and  beheaded  near  York  in  1405.  Buried 
in  the  Minster,  thousands  flocked  to  his  tomb  in  the 
north-choir-aisle.  Naturally  enough  the  king  who 
had  murdered  him  tried  to  check  the  stream  of 
offerings ;  but  Scrope's  tomb  became  more  popular 
than  that  of  St.  William.  Scrope  was  a  Yorkshire- 
man,  the  son  of  Lord  Scrope,  of  Masham,  and  the 
Scropes  had  a  chantry  in  the  chapel  of  St.  Stephen, 
now  destroyed. 

The  great  central  tower  was  erected  in  1400-1423 
and  the  church  was  re-consecrated  on  July  3,  1472 ; 
and  so,  at  the  close  of  the  Fifteenth  Century,  York 
Minster  existed  as  we  see  it :  save  for  two  fires 


266  YORK  MINSTER 

(1829  and  1840)  and  a  judicious  repairing  and 
restoration  in  1871,  the  great  Minster  has  not  been 
changed. 

When  Henry  VIII.  disestablished  the  monas- 
teries there  were  many  outbreaks  in  York,  and  the 
famous  "Pilgrimage  of  Grace"  (1536)  was  much 
excited  by  the  seizure  of  St.  William's  head,  still  a 
beloved  relic  of  the  Cathedral.  Lee,  then  arch- 
bishop, was  taken  by  the  rebels  and  forced  to  sup- 
port them.  Before  this,  however,  Thomas  Wolsey 
had  been  arrested  at  Cawood.  Though  Archbishop 
(1514-1530),  it  is  said  that  he  was  never  at 
York. 

When  York  was  besieged  by  the  Parliamentari- 
ans in  1644,  Fairfax  restrained  his  soldiers  to  some 
degree,  which  explains  why  so  much  of  the  ancient 
glass  is  left.  Thomas  Mace's  description  of  the 
siege,  however,  shows  how  little  respect  the  army 
really  had  for  the  Minster: 

"  The  enemy  was  very  near  and  fierce  upon  them,  espe- 
cially on  that  side  of  the  city  where  the  church  stood ;  and 
had  planted  their  great  guns  mischievously  against  the 
church;  with  which  constantly  in  prayer's  time,  they 
would  not  fail  to  make  their  hellish  disturbance  by  shoot- 
ing against  and  battering  the  church;  insomuch  that  some- 
times a  cannon  bullet  has  come  in  at  the  windows  and 
bounced  about  from  pillar  to  pillar  (even  like  some  furious 
fiend  or  evil  spirit)  backwards  and  forwards  and  all  manner 
of  sideways,  as  it  has  happened  to  meet  with  square  or 
round  opposition  amongst  the  pillars." 

On  February  2,  1829,  Jonathan  Martin,  brother 
of  the  painter,  John  Martin,  hid  himself  behind  the 
tomb  of  Archbishop  Greenfield,  in  the  north  tran- 
sept during  evening  service ;  and  after  the  church 
had  been  closed,  set  fire  to  the  choir.  The  stalls, 
organ,  and  vault  were  destroyed  and  much  of  the 


YORK  MINSTER  267 

stone-work  was  damaged.  Restorations  were 
started  in  1832.  Another  fire  occurred  in  1840 
in  the  south-west  tower,  occasioned  by  some  work- 
men who  were  repairing  the  clock  in  the  south- 
west tower.  The  wooden  vault  of  the  nave  and  the 
tower  and  bells  were  damaged.  In  1871  some  of 
the  side  walls  were  rebuilt. 

Every  one  is  familiar  with  the  West  Front  of 
York;  but  the  traveller  who  looks  upon  it  for  the 
first  time  is,  nevertheless,  overwhelmed. 

"The  West  Front  is  more  architecturally  perfect  as  a 
composition  in  its  details  than  that  of  any  other  English 
Cathedral,  and  is  unquestionably  the  best  cathedral  fagade 
in  this  country.  The  lower  part,  with  the  entrances  and 
lower  windows,  belongs  to  the  Early  Decorated  period. 
Above  the  windows  the  work  is  Late  Decorated  and  the 
towers  above  the  roof  Perpendicular.  Numerous  niches 
cover  the  surface.  It  is  doubtful  whether  they  ever  con- 
tained statues.  The  principal  entrance  is  divided  by  a 
clustered  pier,  and  above  it  is  a  circle  filled  with  cusped 
tracery.  Over  the  whole  doorway  is  a  deeply-recessed 
arch,  and  over  that  a  gable  with  niches,  one  of  which 
contains  the  statue  of  an  archbishop,  supposed  to  be  John 
le  Romeyn,  who  began  the  nave  in  1291,  and  other  niches 
have  figures  of  a  Percy  and  a  Vavasour,  who  gave  the 
wood  and  stone  for  the  building.  The  favourite  ball- 
flower  ornament  of  the  Decorated  style  is  seen  on  the 
gable,  and  the  mouldings  in  the  arches  have  figures  repre- 
senting the  history  of  Adam  and  Eve.  Above  the  entrance 
is  a  large  eight-light  window,  pronounced  by  many  to  be 
too  large  even  for  York  Minster,  containing  very  elaborate 
and  beautiful  tracery,  and  over  it  is  a  pointed  gable.  On 
each  side  of  the  west  window  are  buttresses  covered  with 
panelling  and  niches.  The  noble  towers  rising  on  each 
side  of  the  west  front,  have  buttresses  similarly  adorned, 
and  each  three  windows,  and  over  the  second  an  open 
battlement  forms  a  walk  along  the  whole  front.  The 
towers  have  battlements  and  pinnacles.  The  south-west 
tower  (1433-1457)  was  injured  by  fire  in  1840;  and  the 


268  YORK  MINSTER 

north  tower  (1470-1474)  has  the  largest  bell  in  the  king- 
dom, Great  Peter,  which  cost  562,000  in  1845  and  weighs 
ten  tons."— (P.  H.  D.) 

The  twin-towers  rise  to  a  height  of  two  hun- 
dred feet  and  are  ornamented  with  windows,  battle- 
ments, and  pinnacles. 

The  Central  Tower  at  the  crossing  of  the  tran- 
septs, built  in  1410-1433,  Perpendicular,  is  also  two 
hundred  feet  high.  It  is  the  largest  in  England, 
and  is  considered  not  only  one  of  the  triumphs 
of  Fifteenth  Century  architects,  but  one  of  the 
finest  towers  in  the  world.  Much  of  it  is  supposed 
to  be  the  work  of  Walter  Skirlawe,  Bishop  of  Dur- 
ham, and  its  resemblance  to  the  central  tower  of 
Durham  Cathedral  justifies  the  assumption.  It  has 
never  been  finished. 

"  The  central  tower  rises  a  single  story  above  the  ridge 
of  the  roof  and  is  open  inside  to  the  top.  But  for  small 
gables  on  the  buttresses,  it  is  quite  plain  up  to  the  level ' 
of  the  roof  ridge.  Above  this  it  contains  two  long  and 
narrow  Perpendicular  windows  on  each  side,  of  three 
lights  each,  with  a  transom.  These  windows  are  orna- 
mented ogee  gables,  and  between  them  are  three  niches,  one 
above  the  other,  with  canopies.  The  external  buttresses 
are  split  up  with  vertical  mouldings  and  ornamented  with 
niches  and  panelling.  The  tower  is  crowned  with  a  bat- 
tlement. Horizontal  string-courses  with  gargoyles  divide 
the  buttresses  at  intervals.  There  are  no  pinnacles  on  these 
buttresses,  and  they  appear  never  to  have  been  finished. 
It  is  possible  that  it  was  intended  to  set  another  story 
on  the  top  of  the  present  one,  but  this  is  merely  conjecture. 

"The  English  architects  of  the  Fifteenth  Century,  if 
they  were  inferior  to  earlier  builders  in  invention  and 
vigour,  were  at  any  rate  supreme  in  the  management  of 
towers.  Their  wonderful  sense  of  proportion,  their 
habitual  use  of  vertical  lines,  and  the  character  of  their 
windows  helped  them  to  build  what  are  perhaps  the  finest 
towers  in  Europe,  and  the  central  tower  of  York  Minster 


H 
£ 

O 


8 


w 

H 


YORK  MINSTER  269 

is  one  of  the  finest  of  all.  Even  the  absence  of  pinnacles, 
if  it  is  an  accident,  seems  to  be  a  lucky  accident,  and  gives 
this  tower  an  unrivalled  dignity  and  an  air  of  restraint 
suitable  to  the  character  of  the  whole  cathedral." — (A. 
C-B.) 

We  enter  the  Cathedral  by  the  south  door  of  the 
South  Transept  and  are  introduced  to  what  is  con- 
sidered one  of  the  most  superb  architectural  views 
in  the  world.  The  enormous  width  of  the  church 
and  length  of  the  transepts  and  the  tremendous 
lantern  produce  almost  the  effect  of  St.  Paul's  or 
St.  Peter's.  Neither  the  east  nor  the  west  end  is 
visible,  for  we  are  looking  right  across  the  arms  of 
the  crossing  straight  to  the  north  end  of  the 
transept,  where  the  Five  Sisters  display  their 
jewels. 

The  Lantern  is  very  lofty — 180  feet  from  the 
floor — each  transept  is  four  bays  long — 223  feet 
from  north  to  south — and  93  feet  wide.  To  the  top 
of  the  roof  they  measure  99  feet. 

"  The  transepts,  therefore,  are  unusually  prominent,  even 
for  an  English  cathedral,  and  they  have  many  other  un- 
usual features.  Taken  in  conjunction  with  the  lantern, 
they  produce  an  effect  to  be  found  in  no  other  Gothic 
church  in  the  world.  In  England  there  are  none  so  wide 
and  so  lofty.  In  France  there  are  interiors  even  loftier,  but 
in  France  the  transepts  are  seldom  a  prominent  feature  of 
the  design.  Often  they  do  not  project  beyond  the  outer 
wall  of  the  aisles  of  the  nave,  and  oftener  still  there  is 
no  central  tower  large  enough  to  allow  of  a  lantern  at  all. 
It  is  a  great  piece  of  good  fortune,  also,  that  the  five  vast 
lancets  of  the  north  transept  end,  known  as  the  Five 
Sisters,  still  keep  their  beautiful  original  glass.  If  we  look 
at  these  windows  and  consider  how  utterly  ineffective  they 
would  be  if  they  were  glazed  with  plain  glass,  we  can 
understand  how  little  remains  of  the  original  beauty  of 
the  interior  of  Salisbury. 

"  The  Five  Sisters  are,  no  doubt,  the  largest  lancet  win- 


270  YORK  MINSTER 

dows  in  England,  and  it  was  a  bold  idea  to  fill  almost  the 
whole  of  that  great  front  with  them,  but  the  boldness  was 
entirely  justified  by  the  result. 

"  The  glass  in  the  Five  Sisters  is  Early  English  of  the 
simplest  and  most  beautiful  design.  The  colour,  an  al- 
most uniform  scheme  of  greyish  green,  is  a  curious  con- 
trast to  the  vivid  blues  and  yellows  of  the  period  which 
preceded  it,  and  examples  of  which  may  be  seen  in  the 
choir  of  Canterbury.  The  pattern  is  an  elaborate  but 
restrained  arrangement  of  the  foliage  of  the  Planta  Bene- 
dicta  (herb  benet).  The  plain  border  surrounding  the 
Early  English  glass  was  inserted  in  1715.  At  the  foot  of 
the  central  light  is  a  panel  of  Norman  glass,  the  subject 
of  which  is  either  the  dream  of  Jacob,  or  Daniel  in  the 
lions'  den." — (A.  C.-B.) 

The  glass  in  the  lancets  above  the  Five  Sisters  is 
modern. 

In  the  eastern  aisle  of  the  south  transept  (Early 
English)  the  Tomb  of  Walter  de  Grey  (died 
1255),  shows  an  effigy  in  full  canonicals.  The  right 
hand  is  raised  in  blessing,  the  left  grasps  a  crozier, 
and  the  feet  crush  a  dragon.  The  columns  at  the 
sides  are  ornamented  with  leaves  at  equal  distances. 
On  either  side  of  the  gable  over  the  Archbishop's 
head  an  angel  stands.  The  canopy  is  supported  by 
nine  pillars.  In  the  eastern  aisle  of  the  north  tran- 
sept we  stop  to  look  at  the  tomb  of  Archbishop 
Greenfield  (died  1315).  This  is  decorated  with 
an  ornamented  canopy. 

A  rich  and  elaborate  Rood  Screen  separates  the 
choir  from  the  crossing.  It  dates  from  1475-1505 
and  is  composed  of  a  central  doorway  and  fifteen 
canopied  niches  containing  statues  of  English  kings 
from  William  the  Conqueror  to  Henry  VI.  The 
latter  is  the  only  modern  one.  Above  these  are 
angels  by  Bernasconi.  The  central  arch  is  sur- 
mounted with  an  ogee  moulding  decorated  with  foli- 


YORK  MINSTER  271 

age  and  a  niche,  on  either  side  of  which  is  an  angel 
with  a  censer.  The  capitals  of  the  shafts  are 
carved;  and  rosettes  and  rows  of  foliage  appear 
between  the  shafts.  The  canopies  are  very  ornate. 
It  is  interesting  to  compare  this  screen  with  the  one 
at  Exeter. 

The  Choir,  including  the  retro-choir,  consists  of 
nine  bays — the  largest  and  loftiest  choir  in  England 
and  one  of  the  most  beautiful.  It  was  begun  in 
1361  at  the  east  end  and  completed  in  1405.  It  has 
been  described  as  an  "  interesting  example  of  a 
Perpendicular  building  carried  out  on  the  lines  of 
an  earlier  Decorated  design." 

"  The  choir  itself  is  like  an  enormous  college  chapel. 
The  aisles  exist,  but  play  no  part  in  the  design,  which  still 
culminates  in  the  splendid  blaze  of  glass  from  the  eastern 
transepts  and  the  great  east  window,  and  once  culminated 
on  the  still  more  splendid  blaze  of  the  altar. 

"  The  retro-choir,  far  too  short  and  wide  to  be  judged  as 
an  avenue  of  stone,  is  still  more  dependent  for  its  effect 
on  its  glass.  As  most  of  that  glass  luckily  remains,  it  is 
a  miracle  of  airy  splendour;  one  may  see  from  it  what 
were  the  objects,  and  how  great  the  success  of  the  much- 
maligned  Perpendicular  architects  at  their  best. 

"  To  sum  up,  then,  this  choir  has  not  the  delicate  and 
spiritual  beauty  of  the  choirs  of  Lincoln  or  Ely.  That  is 
never  found  even  in  the  finest  work  of  Perpendicular 
architects;  but  for  stateliness  and  magnificence  it  has  not 
a  rival  in  England.  These  qualities  may  be  best  appre- 
ciated standing  midway  between  the  two  transepts  and  in 
front  of  the  altar.  From  that  point  glittering  screens  of 
glass  and  soaring  shafts  of  stone  are  to  be  seen  on  all 
sides;  the  whole  effect  is  one  of  triumphant  light  and 
space  and  colour,  not  to  be  surpassed  by  the  splendours 
even  of  Moorish  or  Italian  architecture." — (A.  C.-B.) 

The  magnificent  Perpendicular  stalls  perished  in 
the  fire  of  1829,  so  did  the  Perpendicular  altar- 
screen.  The  present  stalls  and  screen  are  reproduc- 


272  YORK  MINSTER 

tions  of  these.    The  reredos  of  terra-cotta  and  wood 
is  modern. 

The  vault  of  the  choir  is  of  wood,  an  imitation 
of  the  vault  destroyed  by  fire  in  1829.  The  win- 
dows of  the  clerestory  are  Perpendicular  and  con- 
tain five  lights. 

"  The  glass  in  the  choir  is  almost  wholly  Perpendicular. 
As  in  the  nave,  it  is  very  fragmentary  and  disordered.  The 
change  in  the  character  of  the  design  will  be  easily 
noticed.  The  Perpendicular  glass  is  not  so  clear  and  deli- 
cate in  colour,  and  the  architectural  and  other  patterns  are 
less  pronounced.  This  glass,  regarded  simpvly  as  decorative, 
is  perhaps  superior  to  that  in  the  nave. 

"  Mr.  Winston  has  pointed  out  that  the  earliest  Perpen- 
dicular glass  in  the  choir  is  contained  in  the  third  window 
from  the  east  in  the  south  aisle;  in  the  third  and  fourth 
windows  from  the  east  in  the  north  clerestory;  and  in 
the  fourth  clerestory  window  from  the  east  on  the  opposite 
side.  These  windows  date  from  the  close  of  the  Fourteenth 
Century.  There  is  also  an  early  Perpendicular  Jesse  in  the 
third  window  from  the  west  in  the  south  aisle  of  the 
choir.  The  other  windows  of  the  choir  aisles  east  of  the 
small  eastern  transepts,  as  well  as  the  glass  in  the  lancet 
windows  on  the  east  side  of  the  great  western  transepts, 
appears,  he  says,  to  be  of  the  time  of  Henry  IV.;  the  rest 
of  the  glass  in  the  choir  is  of  the  reigns  of  Henry  V.  and 
VI.,  chiefly  of  the  latter.  He  notices  also,  that  the  white 
glass  in  the  windows  is  generally  less  green  in  tint  than 
usual,  and  that  he  has  learnt  from  Mr.  Browne  that  it  is 
all  of  English  manufacture." — (A.  C.-B.) 

We  now  come  to  the  smaller  transepts  situated 
between  the  four  eastern  and  four  western  bays  of 
the  choir.  They  are  practically  one  bay  of  the 
choir  with  the  triforium  and  clerestory  removed. 
At  each  end  are  immense  windows.  Each  is  73 
feet  long  by  16  feet  wide.  Both  have  been  restored ; 
but  the  glass  is  original  and  very  splendid.  The 
north  window  contains  scenes  from  the  life  of  St. 


YORK  MINSTER  273 

William;  the  south  window  depicts  the  history  of 
St.  Cuthbert,  and  is  thought  to  date  from  about 
1437.  In  it  are  members  of  the  house  of  Lancaster. 

The  east  end  of  the  choir  is  almost  entirely  filled 
with  the  great  East  Window. 

The  space  behind  the  altar  is  sometimes  called 
the  Lady-Chapel.  This  occupies  four  bays.  It  was 
built  in  1361-1405,  and  is  Perpendicular  in  style. 
The  Altar  of  the  Virgin  stood  under  the  great  east 
window  and  here  also  was  a  chantry  founded  by 
the  Percys. 

"  The  great  east  window  was  glazed  by  John  Thornton 
of  Coventry.  The  terms  of  the  contract  for  this  work, 
dated  1405,  are  extant.  They  provide  that  Thornton  shall 
*  portray  the  said  window  with  his  own  hands,  and  the  his- 
tories, images,  and  other  things  to  be  painted  on  it.'  It 
was  to  be  finished  within  three  years.  Glass,  lead  and 
workmen  were  to  be  provided  at  the  expense  of  the  chapter, 
and  Thornton  was  to  receive  45.  a  week,  £$  a  year  and 
£10  at  completion  for  his  trouble. 

"  The  window  is  78  feet  high  and  32  feet  wide,  and 
contains  nine  lights.  It  is  entirely  filled  with  old  glass, 
except  for  certain  pitches  of  modern  glass,  rather  crude  in 
colour,  and  inserted,  it  is  said,  after  the  fire  of  1829.  It 
contains  200  panels  of  figures.  The  subjects  in  the  upper 
part  are  from  the  Old  Testament,  reaching  from  the  crea- 
tion of  the  world  to  the  death  of  Absalom.  The  lower 
'part  contains  illustrations  from  the  Book  of  Revelations. 
In  the  loftiest  row  of  all  are  representations  of  kings  and 
archbishops. 

"  In  the  top  lights  are  figures  of  prophets,  saints  and 
kings.  At  the  apex  of  the  window  is  a  representation  of 
the  Saviour  in  Judgment. 

"  This  window  is  probably  the  finest  example  of  Perpen- 
dicular glass  in  England. 

"  The  great  east  window,  like  the  windows  of  the 
transepts,  has  a  double  plane  of  tracery  reaching  to  about 
half  the  height  of  the  whole.  Between  the  two  planes  a 
passage  runs  at  the  base  of  the  window,  between  two  doors 


274  YORK  MINSTER 

which  lead  to  staircases  in  the  turrets  on  each  side  of 
the  windows.  These  staircases,  in  their  turn,  lead  to  a 
gallery  across  the  window  on  the  top  of  the  inner  plane 
of  tracery.  The  view  from  this  gallery  is  very  fine." — 
(A.  C.-B.) 

Of  the  numerous  tombs  and  monuments  in  the  east 
end  below  the  windows  in  the  retro-choir  and  choir- 
aisles,  we  note  only  two.  That  of  Archbishop  Bowet 
(died  1423),  in  the  retro-choir  (south  side),  is  one 
of  the  finest  Perpendicular  monuments  in  existence, 
much  mutilated,  it  is  true;  but  still  exhibiting  its 
clusters  of  tabernacles  and  pinnacles  joined  to  the 
arch  beneath  with  fan-tracery.  Bowet  was  still 
alive  when  this  monument  was  erected  in  1415. 
The  other  is  William  of  Hatfield  (died  1344), 
second  son  of  Edward  III.,  aged  eight.  The  Plan- 
tagenista  ornaments  the  canopy.  Unfortunately 
the  effigy  of  the  little  prince  is  much  damaged. 

The  Nave  is  also  superb  and  all  the  decoration 
most  elaborate. 

"  The  first  impression  on  viewing  this  nave  is  a  sense 
of  its  magnitude.  Archbishop  Romeyn  and  his  builders 
determined  to  build  a  vast  church  which  would  eclipse  all 
other  rivals.  They  would  have  large  windows,  high, 
towering  piers,  a  huge,  vaulted  roof,  and  everything  that 
was  grand  and  impressive.  Edward  I.  was  then  fighting 
with  the  Scots  and  made  York  his  chief  city.  It  was  im- 
mensely prosperous  and  the  ecclesiastical  treasury  was 
replete  with  the  offerings  of  knights  and  nobles,  kings  and 
pilgrims.  Nowhere  should  there  be  so  mighty  a  church 
as  York  Minster.  In  order  to  have  space  for  large  win- 
dows they  made  the  triforium  unusually  small,  which  is 
formed  only  by  a  continuation  of  the  arches  of  the 
clerestory  windows.  The  design  for  the  stone  vaulted 
roof  was  never  carried  out.  The  builders  feared  that 
the  great  weight  of  a  roof  with  so  large  a  span  would  be 
too  much  for  the  walls,  so  a  wooden  vault  was  substituted. 
The  piers  have  octagonal  bases  and  consist  of  various 


YORK  MINSTER  275 

sized  shafts  closely  connected.  The  capitals  are  beautifully 
enriched  with  foliage  of  oak  and  thorn,  and  sometimes  a 
figure  is  seen  amidst  the  foliage.  We  notice  thirty-two 
sculptured  busts  at  the  intersection  of  the  hood-moulding 
with  the  vaulting  shafts.  Coats-of-arms  of  the  benefac- 
tors of  York  appear  on  each  side  of  the  main  arches.  The 
clerestory  windows  have  each  five  lights.  The  old  roof 
was  destroyed  by  fire  in  1840.  The  present  one  has  a  vast 
number  of  bosses  representing  the  Annunciation,  Nativity, 
Magi,  Resurrection,  besides  a  quantity  of  smaller  ones." — „ 
(P.  H.  D.) 

Looking  up  at  the  west  end  of  the  nave  we  have 
a  double  study  in  the  splendid  West  Window  (only 
surpassed  by  the  famous  window  of  Carlisle  Cathe- 
dral) ;  for  the  tracery  of  the  Curvilinear,  or  flowing 
Decorated  style  has  been  carefully  restored,  and  the 
window,  which  measures  56  x  25  feet,  is  almost  en- 
tirely filled  with  the  original  glass  given  by  Arch- 
bishop Melton  in  1338. 

"  This  is  remarkable  not  only  for  the  purity  and  boldness 
of  its  scheme  of  colours,  but  for  the  admirable  way  in 
which  the  design  of  the  glass  fits  the  elaborate  pattern  of 
the  tracery.  It  will  be  noticed  that  both  the  figures  and  the 
architectural  ornaments  are  in  bolder  relief  than  in  the 
earlier  glass  of  the  Five  Sisters,  or  the  later  of  the  choir. 
Some  of  the  faces  of  the  figures  have  been  restored  by 
Peckett,  but  not  so  as  to  interfere  with  the  decorative 
effect  of  the  whole.  The  window  contains  three  rows  of 
figures,  the  lowest  a  row  of  eight  archbishops,  the  next  a 
row  of  eight  saints,  including  St.  Peter,  St.  Paul,  St.  James 
and  St.  Katharine,  and  above  this  a  row  of  smaller  figures 
unidentified. 

"  The  window  contains  eight  lights.  These  lights  are 
coupled  in  pairs  by  four  arches  with  a  quatrefoil  in  the 
head  of  each,  and  again  formed  in  groups  of  four  by  an 
ogee  arch  above  the  other  arches.  The  flowing  curves  of 
these  ogee  arches  are  most  ingeniously  and  beautifully 
worked  into  the  pattern  of  the  upper  part  of  the  window, 
which  contains  five  main  divisions  of  stonework,  each  like 


276  YORK  MINSTER 

the  skeleton  of  a  leaf  in  shape  and  in  the  delicacy  of  its 
pattern.  Of  these  five  divisions  the  top  one  is  made  by 
splitting  up  the  central  mullion;  two  diverge  from  it  at 
the  top  of  the  lower  lights ;  and  two  others  curve  inwards 
from  the  outside  arch.  The  central  mullion  runs  up  almost 
to  the  top  of  the  arch.  The  mullions  are  alike  in  mould- 
ing and  size.  Below  the  window  is  the  west  door,  the  head 
of  which  is  filled  with  ancient  stained  glass.  There  is  a 
gable  above  it,  running  up  to  the  bottom  of  the  window 
^and  containing  three  niches.  There  are  kneeling  figures  on 
each  side  of  the  gable,  so  that  the  top  of  it  may  have 
held  a  figure  of  Christ.  All  that  portion  of  the  west  end 
not  occupied  by  the  window  and  the  porch  is  filled  with 
stories  of  niches  and  arcading." — (A.  C.-B.) 

The  windows  of  the  aisles  of  the  nave  are  Deco- 
rated. 

The  Nave  contains  eight  bays.  Each  bay  con- 
sists of  two  main  divisions :  the  upper  half  contain- 
ing the  triforium  and  clerestory;  and  the  lower 
half,  the  main  arches.  A  slender  moulding  runs 
between  the  two  divisions.  The  piers  consist  of  a 
group  of  separate  shafts  and  the  capitals  are  very 
delicate  in  design.  The  triforium  is  little  more 
than  an  extension  of  the  clerestory  window-lights ; 
but  a  band  of  stone  ornamented  with  quatrefoils 
separates  triforium  and  clerestory.  The  clerestory 
windows  are  geometrical  Decorated.  The  design  is 
much  admired. 

"  It  consists  of  five  lights,  the  two  outer  of  which  are 
grouped  in  a  single  arch,  with  a  quatrefoil  piercing  in  its 
head.  Between  these  two  arches  and  on  the  top  of  the 
arch  of  the  central  light  is  a  circle  fitting  into  the  arch 
of  the  window,  and  ornamented  with  four  quatrefoils,  four 
trefoil  piercings,  and  other  smaller  lights.  There  are  capi- 
tals to  the  outside  shafts  of  the  windows,  and  to  the  main 
shafts  of  the  two  inner  mullions.  All  these  mullions  are 
very  delicately  moulded. 

"  The  first  window   from  the  west  end  is  plain.     The, 


YORK  MINSTER  277 

glass  in  the  other  windows  is  rather  finer  and  less  frag- 
mentary than  in  the  north  aisle. 

"  The  second  window  appears  to  have  been  largely  re- 
stored. The  tabernacle  work  is  very  crude  in  colour.  It 
contains  figures  of  St.  Laurence,  St.  Christopher,  another 
saint,  and  three  coats-of-arms  below.  The  top  lights  are 
fine,  and  perhaps  of  Perpendicular  date. 

"  The  third  window  is  one  of  the  richest  in  colour  in 
the  minster,  with  its  gorgeous  arrangement  of  crimsons, 
greens  and  blues.  There  are  inscriptions  by  Peckett,  with 
the  date  at  the  bottom,  1789.  His  deep  blues  on  the  top 
lights  are  particularly  unfortunate. 

"  The  sixth  window  is  also  very  bright.  It  probably  con- 
tains Norman  fragments.  All  the  windows  except  the 
fifth  contain  insertions  by  Peckett. 

"  The  clerestory  window  contains  fragments  and  coats- 
of-arms. 

"  In  the  westernmost  light  of  the  second  window  from 
the  west,  on  the  north  side,  are  portions  of  an  Early  Eng- 
lish Jesse  window.  The  wheel  of  this  window,  and  those 
of  the  next  five,  also  contain  fragments  of  Early  English 
glass.  And  in  the  lower  lights  of  the  fifth  and  seventh 
windows  from  the  west  are  remains  of  the  same  date. 

"  The  wheels  in  the  clerestory  windows  on  the  south 
side  of  the  nave  all  contain  Early  English  glass,  except 
the  third  from  the  west.  There  is  also  some  Early  Eng- 
lish glass  in  their  lower  lights. 

"  The  aisles  of  the  nave  are  bolder  in  design  and  alto- 
gether more  satisfactory  than  the  nave  itself.  Like  the 
nave  they  are  unusually  wide  and  lofty.  In  the  two  farthest 
bays  to  the  west,  above  which  are  the  western  towers,  the 
rough  wooden  roof,  which  has  never  been  covered  with  a 
vault,  may  be  seen.  The  vault  of  the  aisles  is  of  stone, 
with  only  structural  ribs,  finely  moulded  and  with  carved 
bosses.  The  aisle  windows  are,  like  those  of  the  clerestory, 
of  the  geometrical  Decorated  Style,  but  of  an  earlier  and 
simpler,  uniform  design.  They  each  contain  three  lights. 
Above  the  three  lights  are  three  quatrefoils,  pyramidally 
arranged."— (A.  C.-B.) 

The  second  window  from  the  east  in  the  north 
aisle  of  the  nave  is  said  to  have  been  given  by  a 


278  YORK  MINSTER 

guild  of  bell-founders,  or  by  Richard  Tunnoc  (died 
1330),  Lord  Mayor  of  York.  Tunnoc  appears  in 
the  design  kneeling  before  the  Archbishop  and 
around  the  picture  of  the  casting  of  a  bell  is  the 
legend  "Richard  Tunnoc  me  fist."  Above  Tunnoc 
is  a  window.  Bells  appear  in  the  border  of  the  glass. 

The  window  at  the  west  end  of  the  north-aisle 
of  the  nave  is  also  very  fine.  It  represents  the 
Virgin  and  Child  and  St.  Catherine  with  her  wheel. 
In  the  west  window  of  the  south-aisle  of  the  nave 
the  subject  is  the  Crucifixion.  The  head  of  Christ 
is  supposed  to  be  of  the  Eighteenth  Century. 

The  choir-aisles  are  very  similar  to  those  of  the 
nave.  They  have  stone  vaults  and  their  windows 
are  very  beautiful.  They  have  been  described  as 
representing  "  a  design  of  which  the  tracery  is 
arrested  half-way  in  its  process  of  stiffening  from 
the  curved  lines  of  the  Decorated  style  to  the 
straight  of  the  Perpendicular."  Each  window  is 
divided  into  three  lights,  each  ending  in  an  obtuse 
arch.  Above  these  are  three  other  arches  and  above 
them  again  two  quatre  foils,  and  above  them  a  sex- 
foiled  opening. 

For  a  description  of  the  glass  in  these  aisles  we 
turn  to  A.  Clutton-Brock : 

"  In  the  north  aisle  the  east  window  is  also  very  fine. 
It  contains  a  representation  of  the  Crucifixion,  with  St. 
John,  St.  James  and  the  Virgin. 

"  The  first  window  from  the  east  is  very  fragmentary. 
The  windows  in  the  south  aisle  are  rather  fragmentary.  In 
the  first  two  from  the  west  the  top  lights  are  empty. 

"  The  second  window  is  remarkable  for  the  delicate 
modelling  and  drawing  of  the  heads.  The  head  of  the 
Virgin  reminds  one  of  one  of  Lippo  Lippi's  Madonnas. 
That  of  an  old  man  with  a  beard  in  the  central  light  is  Ger- 
man in  character.  If  these  are  compared  with  the  crude 


C/J 


o 

o 

M 
HH 

CJ 


in 
£ 


W 
O 


5/3 

w 


O 

a 
u 


w 

CO 

2 


YORK  MINSTER  279 

and  simple  design  of  the  heads  in  the  other  windows,  it 
will  be  obvious  that  they  are  of  a  different  origin.  Noth- 
ing, however,  is  known  of  their  history. 

"  The  third  window  has  borders  by  Peckett  It  contains 
the  Jesse  noted  before. 

"The  fourth  window  is  very  fragmentary.  It  contains 
a  beautiful  figure  of  a  saint  in  one  of  the  top  lights;  the 
other  top  lights  are  by  Peckett.  In  the  central  division,  at 
the  bottom,  is  the  name  of  Archbishop  Lamplugh,  with  a 
coat-of-arms.  (Lamplugh's  tomb  is  close  to  this  window.) 

"  The  last  of  those  windows  contains  painted  glass  given 
by  Lord  Carlisle  in  1804,  and  bought  from  a  church  at 
Rouen.  It  is  a  representation  of  the  Visitation,  Mr.  Win- 
ton  says,  taken  from  a  picture  by  Baroccio,  and  dates  from 
the  end  of  the  Sixteenth  Century.  The  upper  lights  con- 
tain the  original  glass. 

"  The  east  window  of  this  aisle  is  very  fine  in  colouring, 
and  fairly  coherent  in  design.  The  subject  is  not  clear." 

In  the  westernmost  bay  of  the  north-choir-aisle 
the  eight-year-old  son  of  Edward  III.— William 
of  Hatfield — was  buried  (see  page  274).  West 
of  the  tomb  of  Archbishop  Sterne  (died  1683), 
which  has  been  called  "an  example  of  almost 
everything  that  a  monument  should  not  be,"  we 
find  the  tomb  of  Archbishop  Scrope,  beheaded  by 
Henry  IV.  (see  page  265),  interesting  because  it 
was  a  place  of  pilgrimage  in  the  Middle  Ages. 

From  the  north-choir-aisle  we  enter  the  Crypt. 
This  was  discovered  after  the  fire  of  1829.  Here 
we  find  Norman  work  and  some  authorities  go  so 
far  as  to  say  some  portions  of  the  wall  are  of  the 
Saxon  church,  built  by  Edwin  in  the  Seventh  Cen- 
tury. The  capitals  of  the  pillars  (time  of  Roger 
Pont  TEveque)  are  varied  and  very  interesting. 

"  Entering  the  vestibule  we  notice  the  exact  place  where 
the  Early  English  builders  finished  their  work  and  the 
Decorated  style  begins.  The  difference  between  the  styles 


280  YORK  MINSTER 

in  the  Chapter-House  and  vestibule  shows  that  the  former 
.was  erected  first.  It  has  a  wall  arcade,  and  above  are 
windows  of  curious  tracery,  filled  with  beautiful  old 
glass.  The  shafts  of  the  arcade  support  trefoiled  arches, 
with  a  cinquefoil  ornamented  with  a  sculptured  boss.  Each 
boss  and  capital  is  beautifully  carved  with  foliage,  amidst 
which  the  heads  of  men  and  dragons  appear.  The  glass  is 
Early  Decorated,  and  contains  representations  of  Royal 
personages. 

"  The  Chapter-House  is  one  of  the  most  beautiful  in 
England.  The  entrance  is  an  arch,  divided  into  two  arches 
by  a  canopied  pier,  which  bears  a  mutilated  statue  of  the 
Virgin  and  Child.  Clustered  shafts,  with  capitals,  are  on 
each  side  of  the  doors,  which  have  remarkably  good 
scrolled  iron-work.  The  chamber  itself  is  very  magnificent. 
It  is  octagonal  and  in  each  bay  there  are  six  canopied 
stalls  under  a  five-light  window.  The  window  tracery  is 
superb.  Clustered  shafts  support  the  vaulted  roof.  Every- 
where we  see  richly  carved  stone-work,  the  finest  in  any 
cathedral,  the  foliage  of  maple,  oak,  vine  and  other 
trees.  Here  are  pigs  and  squirrels  feeding  on  acorns,  men 
gathering  grapes,  birds,  and  coiled  dragons  and  reptiles. 
The  grotesques  are  most  curious  and  interesting.  In  1845, 
unfortunately,  the  building  was  restored  and  the  painted 
figures  of  kings  and  bishops  were  destroyed,  a  poor  tiled 
floor  laid  down;  but,  in  spite  of  all,  it  can  still  maintain 
its  proud  boast: 

*  Ut  Rosa  flos  florum 
Sic  est  Domus  ista  Domorum! 

['  As  the  Rose  is  the  flower  of  flowers,  so  is  this  House 
the  chief  of  Houses.']" 

The  date  of  this  building  is  generally  given  as 
1320. 

A  curious  doorway  at  the  north-east  end  of  the 
north  transept  opens  into  the  vestibule  that  takes  us 
into  the  Chapter-House.  This  is  a  narrow  passage 
running  north  for  three  bays,  then  turning  at  right 
angles  and  running  east  for  two  bays.  It  is  Deco- 
rated in  style.  Traces  of  ancient  painting  may  be 
observed,  and  the  windows  display  their  original 


YORK  MINSTER  281 

glass,  chiefly  Decorated.  In  the  upper  lights  there 
are  some  fragments  of  Norman  and  Early  English 
glass. 

The  Chapter-House  differs  from  most  chapter- 
houses in  having  no  central  pillar.  It  is  octagonal 
and  is  divided  into  eight  bays.  An  acutely-arched 
window,  with  geometrical  Decorated  tracery,  fills 
each  of  the  seven  bays.  The  space  over  the  entrance 
is  occupied  with  blank  tracery  like  that  of  the 
windows.  The  windows  contain  five  lights,  each 
light  terminating  in  a  trefoiled  arch.  The  glass, 
chiefly  medallions  and  shields,  dates  from  the  time 
of  Edward  II.  and  Edward  III.  The  one  modern 
window  declares  itself. 

Passing  to  the  East  Front  we  find  that  it  is 
square,  and,  like  the  West  Front,  it  is  almost  en- 
tirely filled  with  an  enormous  window.  The  great 
East  Window  contains  nine  lights,  beautifully 
divided  by  mullions  and  crossed  by  three  transoms. 
The  arch  of  the  head  is  filled  with  a  great  number 
of  small  divisions.  Over  the  window  is  an  ogee 
gable,  surmounted  by  a  pinnacle.  Panelling  forms 
a  kind  of  background  for  it.  Buttresses,  tall  and 
narrow,  and  containing  six  tiers  of  niches,  flank  the 
window  on  either  side.  Each  is  finished  with  a 
spire.  The  two  aisle  windows  also  have  ogee  gables, 
surmounted  with  finials.  Above  them  runs  a  band 
of  panelling.  At  each  corner  rises  a  tall  buttress, 
finished  with  a  lofty  spire. 

"  The  Choir  and  Lady-Chapel  are  Perpendicular  work. 
The  four  eastern  bays  constituting  the  Lady-Chapel,  are 
earlier  than  the  later  ones  of  the  choir  and  vary  in  detail. 
The  triforium  passage  in  the  former  is  outside  the  build- 
ing, and  the  windows  are  recessed.  Strange  gargoyles, 
with  figures  of  apes  and  demons,  adorn  the  buttresses.  The 


282  YORK  MINSTER 

east  end  is  mainly  filled  with  the  huge  window,  the  largest 
in  England,  which  does  not  leave  much  space  for  archi- 
tectural detail.  Above  it  is  the  figure  of  Archbishop 
Thoresby,  the  builder  of  this  part  of  the  Cathedral. 
Panelling  covers  the  surface  of  the  stone,  and  below  the 
window  is  a  row  of  seventeen  busts,  representing  our 
Lord  and  his  Apostles,  Edward  III.  and  Archbishop 
Thoresby.  There  are  two  aisle  windows;  buttresses 
adorned  with  niches  separate  the  aisles  from  the  central 
portion,  and  others,  capped  with  spires,  stand  on  the 
north  and  south  of  this  front"— (P.  H.  D.) 

From  the  south-east  we  gain  a  very  satisfactory 
view  of  the  central  tower  and  the  ornate  and  elegant 
South  Transept  (Early  English),  dating  from 
1216-1241.  The  gable,  with  its  large  rose- window, 
cusped  lights,  turrets,  buttresses,  and  lancet  win- 
dows, all  make  a  harmonious  architectural  picture. 
The  south  porch  is  considered  rather  small  and  has 
been  much  restored.  Dog-tooth  moulding  is  plenti- 
ful along  the  arches.  It  also  occurs  on  the  win- 
dows and  gable. 

Pinnacles  and  weird  gargoyles  decorate  the  Nave, 
divided  into  seven  bays  by  tall  buttresses. 

The  north  side  of  the  Minster  is  far  less  ornate 
than  the  south.  Of  course,  the  chief  features  here 
are  the  Chapter-House,  with  its  curious  roof  and 
lovely  windows,  and  the  North  Transept,  very 
fine  Early  English  of  1241-1260.  Here  we  have 
the  famous  group  of  lancets,  the  Five  Sisters  (see 
page  270),  and  seven  beautifully  arranged  lancets 
in  the  gable  above — a  very  fine  contrast  to  the  gable 
of  the  south  transept,  with  its  rose-window.  A 
vestibule  leads  from  the  North  Transept  to  the 
Chapter-House,  that  splendid  octagonal  building, 
perhaps  the  finest  example  of  Early  Decorated  in 
existence.  Buttresses,  topped  with  pinnacles,  pro- 


YORK  MINSTER  283 

ject  at  each  of  the  eight  corners.  The  strange 
pyramidal  roof  is  surrounded  by  a  battlement  and 
curious  gargoyles ;  among  them  bears  peer  out  into 
space. 


LINCOLN 

DEDICATION:  ST.   MARY.     A  CHURCH  SERVED  BY  SECULAR 

CANONS. 
SPECIAL  FEATURES  :  ST.  HUGH'S  CHOIR  ;  ANGEL  CHOIR  ;  EAST 

WINDOW;   CENTRAL  TOWER. 

LINCOLN  CATHEDRAL  possesses  a  commanding  site 
and  three  splendid  towers  that  form  a  beautiful 
picture.  Distance  lends  enchantment  to  the  view 
at  all  times  of  the  day  and  seasons  of  the  year. 

"Throughout  a  vast  district  around  the  city,  the  one 
great  feature  of  the  landscape  is  the  mighty  minster, 
which,  almost  like  that  of  Laon,  crowns  the  edge  of  the 
ridge,  rising,  with  a  steepness  well-nigh  unknown  in  the 
streets  of  English  towns,  above  the  lower  city  and  the 
plain  at  its  feet.  Next  in  importance  to  the  minster  is  the 
castle,  which,  marred  as  it  is  by  modern  changes,  still 
crowns  the  height  as  no  unworthy  yoke-fellow  of  its  ec- 
clesiastical neighbour.  The  proud  polygonal  keep  of  the 
fortress  still  groups  well  with  the  soaring  towers,  the 
sharp-pointed  gables,  the  long  continuous  line  of  roof,  of 
the  church  of  Remigius  and  Saint  Hugh." — (E.  A.  F.) 

Lincoln  Cathedral  is  also  a  landmark  in  the  his- 
tory of  architecture,  for  here  was  developed  the 
first  complete  and  pure  form  of  the  third  great 
form  of  architecture — the  architecture  of  the 
Pointed  Arch. 

"The  best  informed  French  antiquaries  acknowledge 
that  they  have  nothing  like  it  in  France  for  thirty  years 
afterwards;  they  thought  it  was  copied  from  Notre-Dame 
at  Dijon,  to  which  there  is  a  considerable  resemblance,  but 
that  church  was  not  consecrated  till  1230,  so  that  the 
Dijon  architect  might  have  copied  from  the  Lincoln  one, 

284 


LINCOLN  285 

but  the   Lincoln   could   not  have  copied   from    Dijon."- 
(J.  H.  P.) 

To  the  historian,  as  well  as  to  the  student  of 
architecture,  Lincoln  makes  a  strong  appeal  for 
many  visits.  Those  whose  time  is  limited  will  be 
impatient  to  inspect  St.  Hugh's  Choir,  and  the  more 
beautiful  Angel  Choir  beyond  it.  We  must,  how- 
ever, pause  a  moment  to  recapitulate  its  history 
before  we  begin  our  walk  through  the  Cathedral. 

"  The  surface  or  exterior  of  Lincoln  Cathedral  presents 
at  least  four  perfect  specimens  of  the  succeeding  styles  of 
the  first  four  orders  of  Gothic  architecture.  The  greater 
part  of  the  front  may  be  as  old  as  the  time  of  its  founder, 
Bishop  Remigius,  at  the  end  of  the  Eleventh  Century;  but 
even  here  may  be  traced  invasions  and  intermixtures,  up  to 
the  Fifteenth  Century.  The  large  indented  windows  are 
of  this  latter  period,  and  exhibit  a  frightful  heresy.  The 
western  towers  carry  you  to  the  end  of  the  Twelfth  Cen- 
tury; then  succeeds  a  wonderful  extent  of  the  Early 
English,  or  the  pointed  arch.  The  transepts  begin  with  the 
Thirteenth,  and  come  down  to  the  middle  of  the  Four- 
teenth Century;  and  the  interior,  especially  the  choir  and 
the  side  aisles,  abounds  with  the  most  exquisitely  varied 
specimens  of  that  period.  Fruits,  flowers,  vegetables,  in- 
sects, capriccios  of  every  description,  encircle  the  arches  or 
shafts,  and  sparkle  upon  the  capitals  of  pillars.  Even  down 
to  the  reign  of  Henry  VIII.  there  are  two  private  chapels, 
to  the  left  of  the  smaller  south  porch,  on  entrance,  which 
are  perfect  gems  of  art."— (T.  F.  D.) 

In  the  Seventh  Century,  Paulinus,  Bishop  of 
York,  made  converts  in  the  Roman  hill-town  of 
Lincoln,  and  several  churches  were  founded.  The 
"  bishop's  stool  "  was  at  Sidnacester  and  Dorches- 
ter-on-Thames  before  it  was  fixed  at  Lincoln. 

"The  king"  (William  the  Conqueror)  "had  given 
Remigius,  who  had  been  a  monk  at  Fescamp,  the  bishopric 
of  Dorchester  which  is  situated  on  the  Thames.  This 


286  LINCOLN 

bishopric,  being  larger  than  all  others  in  England,  stretch- 
ing from  the  Thames  to  the  Humber,  the  bishop  thought  it 
troublesome  to  have. his  episcopal  See  at  the  extreme  limit 
of  his  diocese.  He  was  also  displeased  with  the  smalmess 
of  the  town,  the  most  illustrious  city  appearing  far  more 
worthy  to  be  the  See  of  a  bishop.  He  therefore  bought 
certain  lands  on  the  highest  parts  of  the  city,  near  the 
castle  standing  aloft  with  its  strong  towers,  and  built  a 
church,  strong  as  the  place  was  strong,  and  fair  as  the  place 
was  fair,  dedicated  to  the  Virgin  of  Virgins,  which  should 
both  be  a  joy  to  the  servants  of  God,  and  as  befitted  the 
time  unconquerable  by  enemies." 

Such  is  Henry  of  Huntingdon's  account  of  the 
transference  of  the  See,  which  took  place  between 
1072  and  1075. 

The  church  built  by  Remigius,  on  the  site  of  an 
earlier  church,  was  completed  in  twenty  years. 
Remigius  died  three  days  before  the  date  appointed 
for  the  consecration,  May  9,  1092,  and  was  buried 
before  the  Altar  of  the  Holy  Cross  in  front  of  the 
rood-screen.  This  first  church  was  300  feet  long. 
It  was  severely  plain ;  but  so  strong  that  Stephen 
used  it  as  a  fortress  in  1141,  when  the  castle  oppo- 
site was  held  by  his  enemies. 

The  next  great  builder  was  Alexander  the  Mag- 
nificent (1123-1148),  nephew  of  Roger,  Bishop  of 
Salisbury.  A  fire  destroying  the  roof  in  1141  neces- 
sitated repairs.  Alexander  remodeled  parts  of  the 
church.  He  added  the  elaborate  doorways  in  the 
west  front  in  1146;  the  Norman  arcade  along  the 
west  front ;  and  built  the  western  towers. 

"  Part  of  the  west  front  of  Lincoln  was  built  by  Bishop 
Remi,  or  Remigius,  1085-1092:  the  small  portion  which 
remains  of  this  work  is  a  very  valuable  specimen  of  early 
Norman,  the  more  so  that  the  insertion  of  later  and  richer 
Norman  doorways  by  Bishop  Alexander,  about  fifty  years 
afterwards,  enables  us  to  compare  early  and  late  Norman 


LINCOLN  287 

work,  while  the  jointing  of  the  masonry  leaves  no  doubt 
of  the  fact  that  these  doorways  are  insertions  and,  there- 
fore, confirms  the  early  date  of  the  three  lofty  arches 
under  which  they  are  inserted.  A  comparison  of  the  capi- 
tals and  details  of  these  two  periods,  thus  placed  in  jux- 
taposition, is  extremely  interesting.  The  wide-jointing  of 
the  masonry  and  the  shallowness  of  the  carving  distinguish 
the  old  work  from  the  new.  Several  capitals  of  the  later 
period  are  inserted  in  the  older  work,  as  is  shewn  on 
careful  examination  by  the  jointing  of  the  masonry,  and 
by  the  form  of  the  capitals  themselves :  the  earlier  capitals 
are  short,  and  have  volutes  at  the  angles,  forming  a  sort 
of  rude  Ionic;  the  later  capitals  are  more  elongated,  and 
have  a  sort  of  rude  Corinthian,  or  Composite  foliage." — 
(J.  H.  P.) 

In  1185  an  earthquake  injured  the  Cathedral; 
and  so,  when  Hugh  of  Avalon  became  Bishop  of 
Lincoln  in  1186,  he  began  to  collect  money  for  re- 
pairs and  rebuilding.  The  eastern  end  of  the  origi- 
nal Cathedral  was  removed,  and  in  1192  Bishop 
Hugh  laid  the  foundations  of  his  very  original 
Choir.  The  architect  was  Geoffrey  de  Noyers. 
J.  H.  Parker,  who  studied  Lincoln  Cathedral  for 
thirty  years,  considers  this  work  of  St.  Hugh 
(A.D.  1192-1200)  pure  Early  English  Gothic  and 
the  earliest  building  of  that  style  in  the  world. 

"  Canterbury  was  completed  in  1184  and  in  1185  St.  Hugh 
of  Grenoble,  also  called  St.  Hugh  of  Burgundy,  was  ap- 
pointed Bishop  of  Lincoln,  and  immediately  began  to  re- 
build his  cathedral.  It  is  therefore  plain  that  this  portion 
of  the  building  was  completed  before  1200,  and  a  careful 
examination  enables  us  to  distinguish  clearly  the  work 
completed  in  the  time  of  Bishop  Hugh,  which  comprises 
his  choir  and  the  eastern  transepts  with  its  chapels.  The 
present  vaults  of  St.  Hugh's  Choir,  and  of  both  the 
transepts,  were  introduced  subsequent  to  the  fall  of  the 
tower,  which  occurred  in  1240. 

"  The  architecture  in  the  north  of  Lincolnshire  and  the 


288  LINCOLN 

south  of  Yorkshire  appears  to  have  been  a  little  in  ad- 
vance of  any  other  in  Europe  at  that  period.  St.  Hugh's 
Choir  at  Lincoln  is  the  earliest  building  of  the  pure  Gothic 
style  free  from  any  mixture  of  the  Romanesque  that  has 
been  hitherto  found  in  Europe,  or  in  the  world.  The 
Oriental  styles  are  not  Gothic,  though  they  helped  to  lead 
to  it.  The  French  Gothic  has  a  strong  mixture  of  the 
Romanesque  with  it  down  to  a  later  period  than  the 
Choir  of  Lincoln.  St.  Hugh  of  Lincoln  certainly  did  not 
bring  the  Gothic  style  with  him  from  his  own  country 
Dauphiny,  or  from  the  Grande  Chartreuse  where  he  was 
educated,  for  nothing  of  the  kind  existed  there  at  that 
period.  Grenoble  (the  place  from  which  St.  Hugh  was 
brought  to  England)  and  its  neighbourhood  was  quite 
half-a-century  behind  England  in  the  character  of  its 
buildings,  in  the  time  of  Henry  II.  of  England  and  of 
Anjou,  in  whose  time  this  style  was  developed. 

"  Nothing  can  well  exceed  the  freedom,  delicacy  and 
beauty  of  this  work;  the  original  arcade  of  the  time  of 
St.  Hugh  is  of  the  same  free  and  beautiful  style  as  the 
additions  of  his  successors.  The  crockets,  arranged 
vertically  one  over  the  other  behind  the  detached  marble 
shafts  of  the  pillars,  are  a  remarkable  and  not  a  common 
feature,  which  seems  to  have  been  in  use  for  a  few  years 
only;  it  occurs  also  in  the  west  front  of  Wells  Cathedral, 
the  work  of  Bishop  Jocelin,  a  few  years  after  this  at 
Lincoln ;  or  perhaps  under  him,  of  Hugh  de  Wells." — 
(J.  H.  P.) 

The  eight  years  during  which  Hugh  carried  on 
the  work 

"were  busy  ones  at  Lincoln.  Contemporary  records  en- 
able us  to  picture  him  encouraging  the  workmen  by  his 
presence  and  example,  even  shewing  his  zeal  by  carrying 
the  stones  on  his  own  shoulders.  He  did  not  live  to  see  his 
work  completed,  as  Remigius  had  done.  But  he  had  set  the 
example  and  given  the  pattern,  and  the  work  was  continued 
by  his  successors  until  the  building  was  again  entire. 
Hugh  had  already  finished  the  apse,  the  eastern  transept, 
the  choir,  and  part  of  the  western  transept  (i.e.,  the  whole 
eastern  portion  of  the  church)  when  he  fell  ill.  Finding 


1 


O 

u 


LINCOLN  :   GREAT  WEST  DOOR 


LINCOLN  289 

his  death  approaching,  he  sent  for  his  architect  Geoffrey  de 
Noyes,  and  enjoined  him  to  hasten  the  completion  of  the 
altar  of  St.  John  the  Baptist,  his  patron.  He  then  gave 
directions  for  his  funeral,  and  instructions  that  he  was  to 
be  buried  in  the  mother-church  of  his  diocese  dedicated 
to  the  Mother  of  God,  near  the  altar  of  St.  John  the 
Baptist.  The  personality  of  the  great  bishop  comes  vividly 
before  us  when  we  read  that  he  also  wished  his  tomb  to  be 
placed  near  the  wall,  in  a  convenient  place,  lest  it  should  be 
a  stumbling-block  to  those  approaching.  On  the  i6th  of 
November,  1200,  Hugh  breathed  his  last,  lying,  as  he  had 
wished,  on  the  bare  ground,  on  a  cross  of  consecrated 
ashes.  His  instructions  regarding  the  funeral  were  carried 
out;  but  such  a  light  as  Hugh's  could  not  be  hid,  and 
within  a  century  we  find  his  remains  enclosed  in  a  costly 
golden  shrine,  borne  on  the  shoulders  of  kings  and  bishops, 
and  placed  at  last  in  a  structure  erected  specially  for  their 
reception,  '  one  of  the  loveliest  of  human  works/  the 
celebrated  Angel  Choir.  The  original  place  of  Hugh's 
burial  has  been  somewhat  disputed.  The  Magna  Vita 
tells  us  that  he  was  buried  near  the  altar  he  had  named, 
a  boreali  ipsius  aedis  regione.  On  the  east  side  of  the 
eastern  transept,  Hugh  had  placed  four  apsidal  chapels,  two 
north  and  two  south  of  the  central  apse.  From  the  words 
above  quoted,  it  has  been  considered  that  the  northern- 
most of  these  chapels  was  the  site  of  his  tomb." — (A.  F.  K.) 

The  western  transept  and  the  nave  were  next 
finished  (Thirteenth  Century),  and  a  central  tower 
was  built  to  replace  the  one  that  fell  in  1237-1239. 
To  this  period  belongs  Bishop  Hugh  de  Wells, 
brother  of  Jocelin  (see  page  108),  who  contributed 
largely  to  the  funds  for  building  and  roofing. 

He  was  succeeded  by  Roger  Bacon's  friend, 
Robert  Grosseteste  (1235-1253).  In  his  time  the 
new  nave  was  completed.  The  large  screen  of  the 
west  front,  the  central  gable  and  the  octagonal  tur- 
rets at  the  corners,  belong  to  this  period;  also  the 
lower  part  of  the  central  tower,  the  Canon's  Vestry 
at  the  eastern  transept,  and  the  Galilee  Porch  at 


290  LINCOLN 

the  western  transept.  The  trellis  ornament  always 
marks  Grosseteste's  work.  He  made  many  changes 
in  the  windows. 

To  the  treasurer,  John  de  Welburne  (died  1380), 
the  Cathedral  is  indebted  for  its  splendid  choir- 
stalls. 

The  Russell  and  Longland  chantries,  the  upper 
parts  of  the  tower,  and  many  windows  date  from 
the  Perpendicular  period. 

John  Evelyn,  visiting  Lincoln  in  1654,  gives  us 
an  idea  how  the  Cathedral  suffered  in  the  Civil 
Wars: 

"  Lincoln  is  an  old  confused  town,  very  long,  uneven, 
steep  and  ragged,  formerly  full  of  good  houses,  especially 
churches  and  abbeys.  The  minster  almost  comparable  to 
that  of  York  itself,  abounding  with  marble  pillars,  and 
having  a  fair  front  (here  was  interred  Queen  Eleanora, 
the  loyal  and  loving  wife  who  sucked  the  poison  out  of  her 
husband's  wound).;  the  abbot  founder,  with  rare  carving  in 
the  stone;  the  great  bell,  or  Tom,  as  they  call  it.  .1  went 
up  the  steeple,  from  whence  is  a  goodly  prospect  all  over 
the  country.  The  soldiers  had  lately  knocked  off  most  of 
the  brasses  from  the  gravestones,  so  as  few  inscriptions 
were  left;  they  told  us  that  these  men  went  in  with  axes 
and  hammers,  and  shut  themselves  in,  till  they  had  rent 
and  torn  off  some  bargeloads  of  metal,  not  sparing  even  the 
monuments  of  the  dead;  so  hellish  an  avarice  possessed 
them :  besides  which,  they  exceedingly  ruined  the  city." 

We  are  now  able  to  analyze  the  West  Front, 
knowing  the  periods  of  the  great  screen  wall,  with 
its  Gothic  arcading  and  the  octagonal  stair  turrets 
capped  by  tall  pyramids  that  terminate  the  ends; 
the  two  tall  square  towers,  Norman  below,  Per- 
pendicular above ;  the  three  great  recesses  pierced 
with  windows  and  doors ;  the  gable  above  the  recess 
with  seven  arches  (two  pierced  with  windows  and 


LINCOLN  291 

two  containing  statues)  in  a  row  and  one  above 
with  angels. 

We  must  note  that  upon  the  southern  turret 
stands  a  statue  of  St.  Hugh ;  and  The  Swineherd 
of  Stow,  who  contributed  a  peck  of  silver  pennies 
towards  building  the  Cathedral,  ornaments  the 
northern  one.  It  is  a  copy  of  the  original,  now  in 
the  Cloisters. 

The  tracery  of  the  windows  in  the  three  recesses 
is  supposed  to  date  from  the  end  of  the  Fourteenth 
Century.  The  big  west  window  and  the  cinquefoil 
window  above  were  placed  there  in  Grosseteste's 
rule  (1235-1253). 

The  central  door  and  those  on  either  side  of  it, 
date  from  the  Twelfth  Century,  and  give  the  best 
possible  idea  of  the  Romanesque  period  just  before 
it  merged  into  Gothic. 

Above  the  central  door  are  eleven  kings,  from 
William  the  Conqueror  to  Edward  III.  These 
statues  date  from  1350  and  were  originally  coloured 
and  gilt. 

The  two  western  towers  (Norman)  were  built 
in  the  Twelfth  Century.  The  arcading  (which  is 
not  the  same  in  both)  shows  where  they  ended  and 
where  the  Perpendicular  stories  were  added,  carry- 
ing them  two  hundred  feet  higher.  Like  the  central 
tower,  they  were  originally  crowned  with  tall 
wooden  spires,  covered  with  lead.  These  spires  be- 
came unsafe  and  were  removed  in  1807.  In  *ne 
northern,  or  St.  Mary's,  hung  "  Great  Tom  of 
Lincoln  "  and  its  successor  until  1834.  The  south- 
ern tower,  called  St.  Hugh's,  has,  a  ring  of  eight 
bells.  Under  St.  Hugh's  the  Ringers'  Chapel 
is  naturally  situated;  and  there  is  a  corresponding 
chapel  under  St.  Mary's  Tower. 


292  LINCOLN 

Beneath  St.  Mary's  Tower  we  find  the  North- 
west Chapel;  under  St.  Hugh's,  the  Ringers' 
Chapel.  Both  chapels  are  vaulted  with  stone  and 
date  from  the  first  half  of  the  Thirteenth  Century. 

The  Nave,  a  very  characteristic  example  of  the 
first  half  of  the  Thirteenth  Century, 

"  exhibits  an  Early  English  style  in  its  highest  stage  of 
development:  massive  without  heaviness,  rich  in  detail 
without  exuberance,  its  parts  symmetrically  proportioned 
and  carefully  studied  throughout,  the  foliated  carving  bold 
and  effective,  there  seems  no  deficiency  in  any  way  to 
deteriorate  from  its  merits." — (G.  G.  S.) 

There  are  seven  bays.  The  first  bay  was  con- 
verted into  a  sort  of  vestibule  by  arches  constructed 
in  the  Eighteenth  Century  to  add  strength  to  the 
western  towers.  The  big  arch,  separating  the  vesti- 
bule from  the  nave,  dates  from  about  1730.  The 
vaulting  under  the  western  towers  dates  from  the 
Fourteenth  Century;  also  the  tracery  covering  the 
walls  of  these  compartments. 

"  Each  pier  is  surrounded  by  round  shafts  of  Purbeck 
marble.  The  arch  mouldings,  like  those  of  St.  Hugh's 
choir,  were  considered  *  beautiful  specimens '  by  Rickman. 
They  are  deeply  cut,  and  throw  good,  bold  shadows.  In 
the  triforium  each  bay  contains  two  arches,  supported  by 
clustered  columns  with  foliaged  capitals.  The  spandrels 
are  decorated  with  sunk  trefoils  or  quatrefoils.  In  most 
cases  the  arches  are  each  divided  into  three  sub-arches 
with  clustered  shafts,  the  tympanum  being  pierced  with 
quatrefoils.  A  difference  is  noticeable,  however,  in  the 
easternmost  arch  and  the  two  westernmost  bays  (five 
arches  altogether)  on  both  sides.  Here  the  sub-arches 
are  only  two  in  number.  The  narrowness  of  the  two 
western  bays  accounts  for  the  variation  at  that  end.  The 
clerestory  is  the  same  throughout  its  length,  having  three 
tall  narrow  windows  in  each  bay,  with  slender  banded 
shafts.  In  the  nave  we  have,  according  to  Fergusson,  '  a 
type  of  the  first  perfected  form  of  English  vaulting.'  He 


LINCOLN  293 

calls  it  'very  simple  and  beautiful.'  At  the  junctions  of 
the  ribs  are  elaborate  bosses  of  foliage.  The  compartments 
are  covered  with  plaster,  once  decorated  in  colours  and 
gold.  In  the  second  bay  from  the  east  is  the  name :  w.  L. 
PARIS: — evidently  intended  as  a  record  of  some  repairs  to 
the  vault.  The  springers  rest  on  clusters  of  three  long 
slender  vaulting-shafts,  rising  from  foliaged  corbels  just 
above  the  capitals  of  the  nave  piers. 

"  In  the  aisles,  each  bay  has  two  lancet  windows,  except 
the  easternmost  bay  on  the  south  side,  which  has  only 
one.  In  the  jambs  are  slender  Purbeck  shafts,  twice 
banded.  Just  beneath  these  windows,  an  arcade  of  trefoiled 
arches  runs  along  the  whole  length  of  the  nave,  being  con- 
tinued on  the  screen  walls  to  the  western  chapels.  The 
arches  are  deep,  with  bold  mouldings,  and  are  supported 
by  clustered  columns.  There  are  five  arches  in  each  bay, 
but  they  are  not  placed  in  the  same  manner  on  both 
sides  of  the  nave.  On  the  south,  the  arches  are  arranged 
in  groups  of  five,  with  blank  spaces  of  wall  between,  in 
front  of  which  pass  the  vaulting-shafts.  On  the  north, 
the  arcade  is  continuous,  and  is  so  arranged  that  each 
cluster  of  shafts  supporting  the  vault  passes  in  front  of 
an  arch.  The  work  on  the  south  side  is  more  elaborate; 
tooth  ornament  is  used,  a  string-course  runs  along  at  the 
height  of  the  capitals,  and  foliaged  bosses  are  found  in  the 
lower  corners  of  the  spandrels.  In  addition  to  the 
clustered  vaulting-shafts  already  mentioned,  there  is  a 
single  vaulting-shaft  in  the  centre  of  each  bay,  between 
the  windows,  rising  from  a  corbel  above  the  wall-arcade. 
On  the  north  side  these  corbels  merely  have  plain  mould- 
ings, but  on  the  south  side  they  are  foliated.  The  arrange- 
ment of  the  vaulting-ribs  is  different  in  the  north  _and 
south  aisles ;  and  in  the  latter  it  will  be  noticed  that  some 
of  the  bosses  have  figure-subjects,  besides  the  foliage 
met  with  on  the  north  side.  The  Agnus  Dei  carved  on  the 
boss  in  the  fourth  bay  from  the  west  should  be  noticed. 
To  such  minor  differences,  continually  found  in  the  corre- 
sponding parts  of  a  Gothic  edifice,  the  style  undoubtedly 
owes  a  peculiar  charm." — (A.  F.  K.) 

The  great  West  Window  was  inserted,  as  we 
have  seen,  in  Bishop  Grosseteste's  time  (1235-1253), 


294  LINCOLN 

Its  tracery,  however,  dates  from  the  end  of  the 
Fourteenth  Century  and  is  Early  Perpendicular. 
The  upper  lights  are  filled  with  fragments  of  Four- 
teenth Century  glass ;  but  the  glass  in  the  lower 
lights  is  modern.  The  cinquefoil  above,  of  the 
same  date,  contains  modern  glass  also.  The  central 
figure  represents  Remigius,  with  his  bishop's  staff 
in  one  hand  and  the  church  in  the  other.  The  rest 
of  the  glass  in  the  nave  is  also  modern. 

Under  the  last  arch  on  the  north  side  of  the  nave 
we  come  to  a  slab  supposed  to  mark  the  original 
burial-place  of  Remigius.  This  slab  was  discovered 
in  the  cloisters  and  is  supposed  to  date  from  the 
time  of  that  worthy  prelate. 

The  neighbouring  Pulpit  is  probably  of  the 
Eighteenth  Century.  On  the  other  side  of  the  nave 
stands  the  black  basalt  Norman  Font,  reminding  us 
of  the  font  in  Winchester.  Around  the  sides  of  the 
square  basin  a  row  of  grotesque  monsters  is  carved 
in  low  relief. 

Now  we  come  to  the  Central  Tower.  Four  mas- 
sive piers  carry  the  four  arches  from  which  it  rises. 
Foliage  decorates  the  top  of  each  arch.  The  span- 
drels are  ornamented  by  two  rows  of  arcading  with 
slender-clustered  shafts.  The  vaulting  is  of  the 
Fourteenth  Century.  The  iron  rings  on  the  piers 
were  placed  there  for  the  purpose  of  fastening  the 
bell-ropes  of  the  "  Lady  Bells  "  that  once  hung  in 
this  tower. 

A  beautiful  stone  Rood-Screen,  Decorated  in 
style  and  dating  from  the  end  of  the  Thirteenth 
Century,  fills  the  eastern  tower  arch,  and  marks 
the  boundary  of  St.  Hugh's  Choir.  Traces  of 
colour  and  gilding  reveal  themselves  to  an  earnest 
scrutiny. 


LINCOLN  295 

"  On  either  side  of  the  central  doorway  are  four  deep 
arches  supported  by  detached  pillars,  decorated  with  gro- 
tesque heads  and  small  figures  of  bishops.  The  wall  be- 
hind is  richly  carved  with  diaper  designs,  shewing  much 
freedom  and  variety.  This  screen  was  once  decorated 
with  colours  and  gilding,  traces  of  which  are  still  visible. 
It  appears  to  have  suffered  a  good  deal  at  the  hands  of 
iconoclasts ;  many  statues  have  doubtless  been  removed, 
and  one  must  be  very  cautious  with  regard  to  the  decora- 
tion which  remains,  as  it  was  considerably  restored  by  a 
mason  named  James  Pink  during  the  second  half  of  last 
century.  The  screen  now  carries  the  organ  erected  in 
1826. 

"  The  two  side  doorways  leading  into  the  north  and 
south  aisles  of  the  choir  are  somewhat  earlier  than  the 
screen  between  them.  They  are  beautiful  examples  of 
carving,  dating  from  the  end  of  the  Early  English  period. 
The  exquisite  openwork  foliage  which  runs  round  the  arch 
is  executed  with  the  utmost  skill  and  care,  and  is  without 
the  laboured  effect  of  so  much  of  our  later  stone-work. 
The  injured  parts  were  carefully  restored  about  1770  by 
James  Pink,  who  was  also  employed  by  Essex  on  the 
canopy  of  the  reredos.  The  doorways  have  modern  iron 
gates."— (A.  F.  K.) 

The  Choir  now  includes  St.  Hugh's  Choir  and 
two  bays  of  the  Angel  Choir  beyond. 

St.  Hugh's  Choir  is  the  earliest  example  of  pure 
Gothic  in  the  world.  People  are  frequently  disap- 
pointed in  it  because  of  its  low  vault  and  squat 
arches ;  but  it  must  be  remembered  that  the  fall  of 
the  central  tower  in  1237-1239  greatly  damaged  this 
part  of  the  building.  In  order  to  strengthen  the 
choir  some  heavy  columns  without  capitals  replaced 
the  original  slender  shafts.  The  arches  were  also 
partly  reconstructed.  Arcaded  screens  between  the 
piers  divide  the  choir  from  the  aisles  north  and 
south,  and  aid  in  the  support. 

"The  foliage  of  the  capitals  is  exquisitely  beautiful,  and 
though  distinguished  technically  by  the  name  of  stiff-leaf 


296  LINCOLN 

foliage,  because  there  are  stiff  stalks  to  the  leaves  rising 
from  the  ring  of  the  capital,  the  leaves  themselves  curl 
over  in  the  most  graceful  manner,  with  a  freedom  and 
elegance  not  exceeded  at  any  subsequent  period.  The 
mouldings  are  also  as  bold  and  as  deep  as  possible,  and 
there  is  scarcely  a  vestige  of  Norman  character  remaining 
in  any  part  of  the  work." — (R.) 

Viollet-le-Duc,  who  fixes  the  date  of  St.  Hugh's 
Choir  at  1220  or  1210  at  the  earliest,  says: 

"  We  have  in  Normandy,  especially  in  the  cathedral  of 
Rouen  and  the  church  of  Eu,  architecture  of  the  date  of 
1190;  it  is  purely  French,  that  is  to  say,  it  corresponds 
exactly  with  the  architecture  of  the  '  Isle  de  France '  except 
in  certain  details.  At  Eu,  at  the  cathedral  of  Le  Mans, 
at  Seez,  we  have  architecture  which  resembles  that  of  the 
choir  of  Lincoln,  but  that  architecture  is  from  1210  to  1220, 
it  is  the  Norman  school  of  the  Thirteenth  Century.  There 
is,  indeed,  at  Lincoln,  an  effort  at,  a  tendency  to  originality, 
a  style  of  ornament  which  attempts  to  emancipate  itself; 
nevertheless  the  character  is  purely  Anglo-Norman. 

"The  construction  is  English,  the  profiles  of  the  mould- 
ings are  English,  the  ornaments  are  English,  the  execution 
of  the  work  belongs  to  the  English  school  of  workmen  of 
the  beginning  of  the  Thirteenth  Century. 

"  On  the  exterior  the  choir  of  the  Cathedral  of  Lincoln 
is  thoroughly  English  or  Norman,  if  you  will;  one  can 
perceive  all  the  Norman  influence;  arches  acutely  pointed, 
blank  windows  in  the  clerestory,  reminding  one  of  the 
basilica  covered  with  a  wooden  roof;  a  low  triforium; 
each  bay  of  the  aisles  divided  into  two  by  a  small  buttress  ; 
shafts  banded.  In  the  interior  vaults  which  have  not  at 
all  the  same  construction  as  the  French  vaults  of  the  end 
of  the  Twelfth  Century;  arch-mouldings,  slender  and 
deeply  undercut;  the  abacus  round;  the  tooth-ornament; 
which  do  not  at  all  resemble  the  ornaments  which  we 
find  at  Paris,  Sens,  St.  Denis,  etc." 

The  Choir-Stalls,  dating  from  the  Fourteenth 
Century,  are  among  the  finest  in  England.  Pugin 
considered  them  quite  the  best. 


LINCOLN  297 

"The  stalls  are  in  two  rows,  the  upper  of  62  seats,  and 
the  lower  of  46 ;  the  former  number  has  now  been  increased 
by  six  and  the  latter  by  two.  The  upper  stalls  have 
elaborate  trefoiled  canopies,  surmounted  by  an  intricate 
maze  of  buttresses  and  pinnacles,  rising  to  a  height  of 
24  feet  6  inches  above  the  choir  floor.  The  niches  above 
the  canopies  have  recently  been  filled  with  statues  of 
saints  in  the  Anglican  Calendar.  The  stalls  in  both  rows 
are  provided  with  hinged  seats  or  misereres,  intended  to 
serve  as  supports  in  the  long  services  during  which  the 
occupants  of  the  stalls  were  required  to  stand.  These 
seats,  as  well  as  the  elbow-rests  and  finials,  are  richly 
carved  with  those  grotesque  subjects  in  which  the  Mediae- 
val artist  so  greatly  delighted.  The  carver  has  given  full 
scope  to  a  most  fertile  imagination.  Scriptural  subjects 
do  certainly  occur  on  some  of  the  misereres  in  the  upper 
row,  but  others  are  of  a  playful  character.  The  fox  is 
seen  preaching  to  birds  and  beasts,  and  then  running  riot 
among  them ;  monkeys  are  at  play,  or  occupied  in  the  more 
serious  business  of  hanging  one  of  their  number  and  bury- 
ing him  afterwards ;  we  also  find  men  fighting  with  wild 
animals ;  the  labours  of  husbandry ;  kings,  knights,  ladies, 
dragons,  griffins,  lions,  hogs,  and  wyverns.  Whether  there 
is  a  hidden  meaning  in  any  of  these  quaint  subjects,  it  is 
perhaps  difficult  now  to  say,  but  the  preaching  fox  is  cer- 
tainly suggestive/' — (A.  F.  K.) 

At  the  east  end  of  the  stalls  on  the  south  side 
rises  the  Bishop's  Throne  with  tall  Gothic  canopy. 
It  was  designed  by  James  Essex  in  1778,  and  carved 
by  Lumby.  Opposite  is  Sir  Gilbert  Scott's  Pulpit 
of  carved  oak  (1863-1864). 

The  brass  chandelier  of  sixteen  lights,  suspended 
from  the  vault,  is  dated  1698;  and  the  brass  eagle 
lectern,  1667. 

The  stone  Reredos  is  a  mixture  of  work  of  the 
Thirteenth  Century  and  that  of  James  Essex  in 
the  Eighteenth  Century.  James  Pink  carved  the 
central  canopy  in  1769  after  designs  by  Essex. 

The  Eastern  Transept  was  also  the  work  of  St. 


298  LINCOLN 

Hugh.  He  joined  the  ends  by  means  of  an  apse, 
which  extended  to  the  second  bay  of  the  Angel 
Choir.  Some  historians  say  that  he  was  buried  in 
the  northern  of  the  four  chapels  that  he  built  along 
the  apse. 

St.  Hugh  died  in  London  in  1200.  When  his 
body  arrived  in  Lincoln  it  was  met  by  King  John 
and  carried  on  the  shoulders  of  archbishops  and 
bishops  to  the  Choir  that  he  had  erected.  He  was 
buried  on  November  24;  and,  according  to  an  old 
ballad : 

"A'  the  bells  o'  merrie  Lincoln 

Without  men's  hands  were  rung, 
And  a'  the  books  o'  merrie  Lincoln 
Were  read  without  man's  tongue; 
And  ne'er  was  such  a  burial 
Sin'  Adam's  days  begun." 

Pilgrims  came  in  such  numbers  to  his  shrine  that 
it  was  deemed  necessary  to  make  his  tomb  more 
important,  and  the  apse  was  removed  for  the  famous 
Angel  Choir,  which,  like  the  Choir  of  St.  Hugh, 
marks  a  new  period  in  the  history  of  architecture. 

"  Thus  the  Angel  Choir  of  Lincoln  was  erected  to  con- 
tain the  shrine  of  one  of  Lincoln's  noblest  bishops  and 
one  of  England's  greatest  saints,  whose  lowly  tomb,  placed 
in  a  corner  at  his  own  desire  for  fear  of  its  being  in  the 
way,  had  become  the  resort  of  such  a  vast  concourse  of 
pilgrims  as  to  require  the  transformation  of  the  eastern 
arm  of  the  minster.  In  1255,  license  was  obtained  from 
Henry  III.  for  the  removal  of  part  of  the  eastern  city  wall, 
which  stood  in  the  way,  and  in  the  next  year  the  Angel 
Choir  was  probably  begun.  The  work  was  carried  on  so 
rapidly  that  within  a  quarter  of  a  century  the  translation 
took  place.  The  choir  was  not,  however,  fully  completed 
till  the  Fourteenth  Century  was  well  on  its  way. 

"  The  6th  October,   1280,  was  the  proudest  day  in  the 


LINCOLN  :   ANGEL  CHOIR 


in 


e 
o 

M 

6 


p 

J 


LINCOLN  299 

history  of  the  city.  Perhaps  never,  before  or  since,  has 
such  an  august  assembly  gathered  within  her  walls.  The 
body  of  the  Saint  of  Lincoln  was  to  be  translated  to  the 
costly  shrine  in  the  centre  of  the  Angel  Choir.  The  cere- 
mony was  magnificent.  Edward  himself  was  present,  and 
supported  on  his  own  shoulder  the  saint's  remains  as  they 
were  carried  to  their  new  resting-place;  with  him  was  his 
beloved  queen  Eleanor,  whose  effigy  was  so  soon  to  be 
placed  beneath  the  same  roof.  The  king  and  queen  were 
accompanied  by  Edmund,  Earl  of  Kent,  brother  of  Edward, 
and  his  wife;  the  Earls  of  Gloucester  and  Warwick;  the 
Archbishop  of  Canterbury;  the  bishops  of  Lincoln,  Bath, 
Ely,  Norwich,  Worcester,  Llandaff,  Bangor,  and  St.  Asaph ; 
the  bishop-elect  of  Exeter ;  and  two  hundred  and  fifty 
knights.  The  shrine,  ornamented  with  gold  and  silver  and 
precious  stones,  was  raised  on  a  lofty  stone  pedestal,  and 
about  thirty  years  after  was  protected  by  an  iron  grille, 
wrought  by  Simon  the  Smith.  It  is  recorded  that  the 
fastenings  of  the  grille  were  still  to  be  seen  in  the  pavement 
at  the  middle  of  the  last  century,  but  all  traces  have  now 
entirely  disappeared.  It  must  have  been  soon  after  the 
translation  that  the  head  was  removed  from  the  body,  and 
enclosed  in  a  metal  case,  enriched  with  gold  and  silver 
and  precious  stones.  A  keeper  was  appointed  to  guard 
the  precious  relic  during  the  day,  and  two  had  this  charge 
at  night.  Yet,  in  spite  of  all  such  precautions,  it  was 
stolen  from  the  church  in  the  year  1364;  the  head  was 
thrown  into  a  field,  and  the  case  sold  in  London  for  twenty 
marks.  The  thieves  were  robbed  of  their  ill-gotten  gains 
on  their  way  back,  and  were  afterwards  convicted  of  the 
crime,  and  hanged  at  Lincoln.  The  head  was  found  and 
restored  to  the  cathedral.  The  treasurer,  John  de  Wel- 
burne  (d.  1380),  either  restored  the  old  shrine  or  made  a 
new  one  of  the  same  materials." — (A.  F.  K.) 

Fergusson  called  the  Angel  Choir  "the  most  beau- 
tiful presbytery  in  England."  It  dates  from  1256 
to  1280,  when  the  Early  English  was  merging  into 
the  Decorated.  The  sculptural  angels  that  orna- 
ment the  spandrels  of  the  triforium  account  for 
the  name. 


300  LINCOLN 

"  It  is  in  five  bays  carried  eastward  at  a  uniform  height 
and  breadth  with  the  choir  of  St.  Hugh.  Lincoln  stone  is 
used  throughout,  relieved  with  shafts  and  capitals  of  Pur- 
beck  marble.  The  spandrels  of  the  great  arches,  which  are 
plain  in  other  parts  of  the  building  are  here  decorated 
with  sunk  geometrical  forms.  Each  bay  of  the  triforium 
is  divided,  as  elsewhere,  into  two  arches,  both  of  which 
enclose  two  sub-arches;  but  the  details  are  richer  than  in 
the  earlier  parts  of  the  minster.  The  clerestory  has  one 
window  of  four  lights  in  each  bay,  with  an  eight-foil-  and 
two  trefoils  in  the  head.  The  compartments  of  the  vault 
were  originally  coated  with  plaster,  which  has  been  scraped 
away  so  as  to  shew  the  stone  surface  underneath.  It  is  a 
question  whether  it  does  not  now  look  better  than  with  the 
old  plaster,  and  the  gaudy  colouring  which  once,  most  prob- 
ably, decorated  it.  The  springers  of  the  vaulting  are  sup- 
ported by  slender  shafts,  which  rest  on  elaborately  foliaged 
corbels  in  the  spandrels  of  the  great  arches.  The  beautiful 
foliaged  bosses  along  the  ridge  rib  are  best  seen  from  the 
triforium  or  the  clerestory." — (A.  F.  K.) 

In  olden  times  the  Angel  Choir  contained  the 
Shrine  of  St.  Hugh  and  a  monument  to  Queen 
Eleanor,  of  which  the  one  now  standing  in  West- 
minster Abbey  is  probably  a  copy.  It  was  an  altar- 
monument  of  marble  with  the  Queen's  effigy  in 
gilded  brass,  and  was  destroyed  during  the  Civil 
Wars  in  the  Seventeenth  Century.  Eleanor  died 
not  far  from  Lincoln,  from  which  city  the  funeral 
procession  started  to  London.  A  modern  stone 
monument,  with  a  brass  effigy  of  Queen  Eleanor, 
was  placed  under  the  East  Window  in  1891. 

Just  behind  the  reredos  there  is  a  row  of  four 
table-tombs.  The  north  one  was  placed  there  by 
Bishop  Fuller,  to  mark  the  resting  place  of  St. 
Hugh;  next  comes  Bishop  Fuller  himself  (died 
1675)  ;  next,  Bishop  Gardiner  (died  1705)  ;  and 
next,  Subdean  Gardiner  and  his  daughter,  Susanna 
(died  1731  and  1732).  Near  the  latter  stands  the 


LINCOLN  301 

alabaster  and  red  marble  monument  to  Dean  Butler 
(died  1894).  In  corresponding  position  and  next 
to  St.  Hugh's  tomb  we  see  Bishop  Wordsworth's 
effigy  under  a  tall  ornate  Gothic  canopy.  This 
Bishop  of  Lincoln  (died  1885),  was  a  nephew  of 
William  Wordsworth.  Nearer  the  East  Window 
we  find  a  group  of  Fourteenth  Century  monuments 
to  the  Burghersh  family,  one  of  whom  was  Bishop 
of  Lincoln  (1320-1340),  and  another,  a  hero  of 
Crecy,  and  Constable  of  Dover,  and  Warden  of  the 
Cinque  Ports.  Opposite  is  the  monument  to 
Nicholas  de  Cantelupe  (died  1355),  a  mutilated 
effigy  under  a  Gothic  canopy.  Near  it  lies  Prior 
Wimbische.  His  effigy,  also  headless,  lies  under 
a  canopy. 

Leland,  writing  in  the  time  of  Henry  VIII.,  men- 
tions two  mutilated  tombs:  Catherine  Swynford, 
the  third  wife  of  John  of  Gaunt,  made  Earl  of 
Lincoln  in  1362,  and  that  of  her  daughter,  Joan 
Beaufort,  who  married  the  Earl  of  Westmoreland. 

On  the  north  side  of  the  choir  is  the  Easter 
Sepulchre,  a  fine  piece  of  Thirteenth  Century  carv- 
ing, in  the  Decorated  style.  It  consists  of  four 
canopies  with  trefoiled  arches.  Three  sleeping 
soldiers  ornament  three  of  the  panels. 

On  a  spandrel  on  the  north  side,  under  a  corbel 
above  the  most  easterly  pier,  sits  the  Lincoln  Imp 
— one  of  those  grotesques  that  the  Mediaeval  carvers 
delighted  in  creating;  and  here  he  has  been  sitting 
with  crossed  leg  and  grinning  grimly  for  cen- 
turies. He  is  of  the  same  family  as  The .  Devil 
Looking  over  Lincoln  (see  page  309). 

In  the  South  Aisle  of  the  choir  we  pause  again 
before  another  spot,  sacred  in  Mediaeval  days.  Here 
stood  until  the  Seventeenth  Century  the  Shrine  of 


302  LINCOLN 

Little  St.  Hugh,  a  child  said  to  have  been  crucified 
by  the  Jews  in  1255.  According  to  the  ballads  the 
ball  of  the  eight-year-old  boy  fell  into  a  Jew's 
garden;  and  when  he  ran  in  to  get  it,  the  Jews 
murdered  him. 

The  canons  of  Lincoln  obtained  the  body  and 
buried  it  in  the  Cathedral.  Hugh  became  a  local 
saint;  and  the  Jews  of  Lincoln  were  promptly  per- 
secuted. When  the  stone  coffin  was  opened  in  1791, 
the  skeleton  of  a  child  three  feet  long,  encased  in 
lead,  was  found. 

Henry  of  Huntingdon  (died  about  1155),  the 
chronicler  of  Lincoln,  was  also  buried  in  this  aisle. 

On  the  north  and  south  of  the  Angel  Choir  is  a 
small  chantry.  That  on  the  north  is  the  Fleming 
Chantry,  built  by  Richard  Fleming,  Bishop  of 
Lincoln  in  1419-1431,  and  the  corresponding  one 
the  Russell  Chantry,  built  by  John  Russell,  who 
held  the  See  from  1480  to  1494.  This  is  similar 
to  the  Fleming  Chantry,  Perpendicular  in  style. 
Very  similar  is  the  Longland  Chantry,  on  the 
other  side  of  the  south  door,  or  Bishop's  Porch. 
This  chantry  was  built  by  John  Longland,  Bishop 
of  Lincoln,  in  1521-1547. 

There  is  no  Lady-Chapel. 

The  great  East  Window  is  the  finest  specimen  of 
its  kind  in  England.  It  is  formed  of  eight  lights; 
and  the  great  wheel  of  the  head  is  composed  of  a 
six-foil,  surrounded  by  six  quatrefoils. 

"  Bar-tracery  being  fully  developed,  the  general  appear- 
ance of  '  the  window  is  rather  Decorated  than  Early  Eng- 
lish, but  the  mouldings  still  belong  to  the  earlier  style.' 
'This  window  .  .  .  together  with  the  whole  of  that  part  of 
the  choir  is  singularly  and  beautifully  accommodated  to 
the  style  of  the  rest  of  the  building.' "—(R.) 


LINCOLN  303 

The  glass  is  modern  and  deals  with  scenes  from 
the  life  of  Christ,  and  the  Old  Testament. 

"  The  aisle  windows  are  each  of  three  lights,  with  three 
circles  in  the  head,  two  filled  with  cinquefoils  and  one 
with  a  quatrefoil.  The  two  east  windows  of  the  aisles  are 
similar  to  the  others.  The  wall  below  the  windows  is 
decorated  all  round  with  arcading  of  a  richer  design  than 
that  in  the  nave.  Two  tref oiled  arches  are  included  in  a 
larger  arch,  with  a  quatrefoil  within  a  circle  filling  the 
heaci.  The  spandrels  have  sunk  trefoils.  The  bosses  of 
the  stone  vaults  to  the  aisles  are  carved  with  sacred  sub- 
jects, foliage,  and  grotesque  figures. 

"  The  east  windows  of  the  north  and  south  aisles  are 
filled  with  beautiful  stained  glass  of  the  Early  English 
period.  The  subjects  are  arranged  within  medallions,  and, 
though  somewhat  difficult  to  decipher,  appear  to  represent 
scenes  in  the  lives  of  two  saints  whose  story  has  many 
points  of  resemblance — St.  Thomas  of  Canterbury  and 
St.  Hugh  of  Lincoln.  The  glass  is  said  to  have  been 
moved  about  the  end  of  the  last  century  from  the  windows 
of  the  nave  aisles.  The  date  of  the  medallions  may  be 
placed  towards  the  middle  of  the  Thirteenth  Century, 
about  the  time  of  the  erection  of  the  nave,  and,  of  course, 
earlier  than  the  windows  which  they  now  occupy.  The 
grisaille  into  which  they  are  now  reglazed,  is  considered  by 
Westlake  to  be  the  earliest  in  England."— (A.  F.  K.) 

One  of  St.  Hugh's  characteristics  was  the  peculiar 
double  arcading  on  his  walls.  We  find  it  in  the 
choir  and  transepts. 

The  Western  Transept  was  begun  by  St.  Hugh ; 
and  his  work  is  thought  to  end  at  the  walls  of  the 
six  chapels  that  run  along  the  eastern  side.  These 
are  dedicated  to  St.  Nicholas,  St.  Denis,  St.  James, 
St.  Edward  the  Martyr,  St.  John  the  Evangelist 
and  St.  Giles,  and  are  separated  from  the  transept 
by  screens  placed  between  the  piers.  Four  of  these 
screens  are  of  carved  oak  and  date  from  the  Fif- 
teenth Century;  but  the  one  of  carved  stone  is  of 


304  LINCOLN 

the  Fourteenth.  The  western  transept  is  famed 
for  its  two  large  circular  windows  in  each  end. 
As  one  looked  upon  the  Deanery  and  the  other 
upon  the  Bishop's  Palace,  they  were  called  re- 
spectively the  Dean's  Eye  and  the  Bishop's  Eye. 
These  nicknames  appear  in  the  Metrical  Life  of 
St.  Hugh,  written  between  1220  and  1225. 

The  Dean's  Eye,  in  the  north  end,  dates  from 
about  1 220.  Here  we  have  not  only  exquisite 
tracery,  but  splendid  glass  of  the  Thirteenth  Cen- 
tury. 

"  It  represents  the  Church  on  Earth  and  the  Church  in 
Heaven.  In  the  centre  is  our  Saviour  seated  in  the  midst 
of  the  Blessed  in  Heaven.  Around  are  four  large  com- 
partments, containing  portions  of  different  subjects,  which 
do  not  appear  to  have  all  originally  belonged  to  their 
present  positions.  The  most  interesting  is  that  shewing  the 
translation  of  the  relics  of  St.  Hugh,  represented  as  borne 
on  the  shoulders  of  crowned  and  mitred  personages.  Of 
the  sixteen  outer  circles,  the  topmost  represents  our 
Saviour  seated  on  a  rainbow;  on  either  side  are  angels 
with  the  instruments  of  the  Passion;  in  the  next  circles  St. 
Peter  and  other  saints  are  conducting  holy  persons  to 
heaven;  below  these  is  the  general  Resurrection;  the  low- 
est five  circles  each  contain  the  figure  of  an  archbishop  or 
bishop.  The  subjects  can  be  best  seen  from  the  neighbour- 
ing triforium  or  from  the  passage  which  runs  just  beneath 
the  window ;  it  will  be  noticed  that  the  glass  in  some  of 
the  compartments  is  much  mutilated,  as  might  naturally  be 
expected,  considering  its  antiquity.  From  below,  the  sub- 
jects are  confused  and  not  easy  to  distinguish,  but  the  rich 
and  harmonious  blending  of  the  colours  can  be  seen  to  the 
fullest  advantage,  and  the  general  effect  is  much  finer. 
Rickman  believes  the  form  of  the  tracery  to  be  quite 
unique  in  England,  but  states  that  there  is  a  window  exactly 
similar  at  Laon." — (A.  F.  K.) 

An  arcade  of  seven  lancet  arches  runs  beneath 
the  window.  The  wall  behind  is  pierced  with  win- 


LINCOLN  305 

dows  filled  with  fragments  of  old  glass.  Two  larger 
lancet  windows  brighten  each  side  of  the  doorway. 
They  contain  fragments  of  old  glass.  The  western 
one  represents  angels  playing  musical  instruments 
in  the  midst  of  foliage.  The  other  window  is  filled 
with  geometrical  patterns.  The  doorway  leads  into 
the  Dean's  Porch. 

The  Bishop's  Eye,  at  the  south  and  opposite  end, 
is  about  a  hundred  years  later  than  its  companion. 
It  is  Fourteenth  Century  and  Decorated. 

"It  is  filled  with  delicate  and  beautiful  flowing  tracery, 
which  has  been  compared  to  the  fibres  of  a  leaf.  Rickman 
considers  it  to  be  the  richest  remaining  example  of  its 
period.  It  is  enclosed  within  a  kind  of  arch  formed  by  two 
rows  of  openwork  quatrefoils;  an  open  frame-work  of  a 
similar  nature  is  often  to  be  seen  round  circular  windows 
in  French  cathedrals.  The  glass  consists  of  fragments 
from  other  windows,  chiefly  of  the  Early  English  period. 
Although  the  pieces  are  placed  quite  at  random,  forming 
no  subject  whatever,  yet  the  effect  of  the  colouring  is 
good,  especially  when  seen  from  the  opposite  end  of  the 
transept.  Of  all  the  modern  windows  in  the  minster,  with 
their  elaborate  subjects,  it  may  safely  be  said  that  not  one 
can  be  compared  in  effect  with  this  mass  of  glowing 
colour."— (A.  F.  K.) 

The  four  lancet  windows  below  contain  Early 
English  glass,  collected  from  various  parts  of  the 
Cathedral. 

Near  the  Bishop's  Eye  John  de  Dalderby's  shrine 
was  situated.  This  was  of  "  massey  silver "  in- 
crusted  with  diamonds  and  rubies.  John  de  Dai- 
derby,  Bishop  of  Lincoln  from  1300  to  1320,  was 
reverenced  as  a  local  saint.  Henry  VIII.  removed 
his  altar-tomb,  fragments  of  which  may  be  seen 
near  the  Galilee  Porch,  situated  at  the  corner  of 
the  south  arm  of  the  western  transept,  different  in 


3o6  LINCOLN 

position  to  the  Galilees  of  both  Durham  and  Ely. 
Lincoln's  was  built  about  1230  for  the  bishop's  state 
entrance.  The  south  and  west  ends  are  open ;  and 
it  may,  therefore,  be  entered  from  either.  Two 
enormous  oak  doors  open  from  the  east  side  into 
the  transept.  The  porch  is  vaulted  and  ornamented 
profusely  with  the  dog-tooth.  The  Perpendicular 
parapet  running  along  the  top  of  the  porch  is, 
of  course,  a  later  addition. 

Retracing  our  steps — no  great  hardship  in  a 
place  of  such  beauty  and  interest — we  walk  up  the 
south-choir-aisle  to  the  Eastern  Transept,  where 
we  have  two  semicircular  chapels  on  the  right  hand, 
and  on  the  left  the  Dean's  Chapel.  We  are  now  at 
St.  Hugh's  earliest  work;  and  his  double  arcading 
is  again  seen  in  the  north  wall  leading  to  the  clois- 
ters. Here  also  we  find  on  two  of  the  columns 
crockets  that  were  novelties  at  this  period.  They 
occur  at  Wells,  the  work  of  Jocelin.  The  name  of 
Dean's  Chapel  is  a  misnomer — no  one  knows  what 
it  was  used  for  originally.  It  has  been  suggested 
that  it  was  the  original  burial-place  of  St.  Hugh. 

Two  semicircular  chapels  also  border  the  eastern 
side  of  the  south  end  of  this  transept,  and  the 
Choristers'  Vestry  occupies  the  corresponding  cor- 
ner to  the  Dean's  Chapel.  A  stone  screen  (Deco- 
rated) separates  it  from  the  south  aisle  of  St. 
Hugh's  Choir.  The  double  arcading  and  sculptured 
angels  are  constantly  seen.  Two  other  vestries  lie 
beyond,  towards  the  south  wall. 

By  means  of  an  oak  doorway,  leading  from  the 
north  wall  of  the  eastern  transept,  we  enter  a  long, 
narrow  passageway,  with  stone  vaulting  and  win- 
dows filled  with  tracery  and  glass.  This  takes  us 
into  ttye  Cloisters,  for  at  Lincoln  these  secluded 


LINCOLN  :  EAST  WINDOW 


I 


a 

o 


o 

CO 


LINCOLN  307 

walks  lie  on  the  north  instead  of  the  usual  south 
side  of  the  Cathedral. 

Only  three  walks  remain  of  the  original  con- 
structions dating  from  the  end  of  the  Thirteenth 
Century.  The  fourth  walk  (north)  was  replaced  by 
a  colonnade,  designed  by  Sir  Christopher  Wren,  in 
1674,  whose  uncle  was  Bishop  of  Lincoln  at  that 
time. 

From  the  east  walk  of  the  Cloister  we  enter  the 
Chapter-House,  which  dates  from  the  early  Thir- 
teenth Century.  It  is  a  decagon,  with  two  lancet 
windows  in  each  bay.  First,  on  entering,  we  note 
the  massive  central  column  with  its  ten  Purbeck 
marble  shafts  banded  together  in  the  middle.  The 
Chapter-House  has  been  restored,  but  it  has  not 
suffered.  The  glass  in  the  windows  is  modern. 
The  arcade  running  below  the  windows  is  orna- 
mented with  shafts  of  Purbeck  marble,  foliaged 
capitals,  and  a  great  display  of  the  dog-tooth. 
The  stone  vault  is  later  than  the  rest  of  the  room 
and  is  very  graceful. 

Many  fine  views  can  be  had  of  the  East  Front. 
The  splendid  Decorated  window  is  always  the  most 
conspicuous  object.  The  window  above  it  is  also 
Decorated  and  nearly  fills  the  gable.  In  the  trefoil 
over  the  top  circle  is  a  figure  of  the  Virgin.  The 
richly  crocketed  pyramids  of  the  turrets  on  either 
side  make  a  beautiful  effect.  The  aisle  windows 
are  separated  from  the  big  window  by  bold  but- 
tresses. Around  the  base  runs  the  arcade  that  we 
constantly  find  at  Lincoln.  The  Chapter-House 
with  its  sharply-pointed  pyramidal  roof  groups 
beautifully  with  the  rest  of  the  Cathedral. 

Next  we  look  at  the  Angel  Choir,  with  its 
crocketed  gables  and  pinnacles,  its  elaborate  tracery, 


3o8  LINCOLN 

and  panelled  buttresses  that  divide  it  into  five  bays. 
Grotesque  figures  project  from  all  of  these  gables. 
One  represents  an  Imp  on  the  back  of  a  Witch. 
Large  windows  with  rich  tracery  fill  the  wall  spaces 
here. 

Next  we  reach  the  beautiful  South  Doorway 
with  the  Russell  and  Longland  chantries  (Perpen- 
dicular) on  either  side. 

"  It  was  probably  constructed,  like  the  Galilee  doorway, 
as  a  state  entrance  for  the  bishop.  The  porch  fills  the  third 
bay,  and  projects  as  far  as  the  buttresses;  its  sides  recede 
inwards  to  the  pair  of  doors  giving  access  to  the  Angel 
Choir.  Although  the  doorways  of  our  cathedrals,  as  a 
rule,  cannot  in  any  way  be  compared  with  the  magnificent 
portals  to  be  seen  in  France,  yet  this  single  example  of 
Lincoln  would  be  quite  enough  to  prove  that  English  archi- 
tects were  capable  of  designing  a  really  magnificent  door- 
way. In  the  tympanum  is  the  subject  of  the  Last  Judgment 
in  relief.  The  archivolt  is  richly  decorated  with  sculpture. 
In  the  inner  band  is  a  row  of  niches  with  twelve  seated 
figures,  apparently  kings  and  queens:  next  a  double  band 
of  delicate  open-work  foliage;  outside  this  a  row  of  sixteen 
slender  standing  figures  enclosed  by  interlacing  stems, 
richly  decorated  with  foliage.  The  doorway  is  formed  of 
two  cinquefoiled  arches,  separated  by  a  central  pillar  hav- 
ing the  canopy  and  base  for  a  figure  of  the  Virgin,  which 
has  been  removed.  On  either  side  of  the  doorway  is  a 
triple  canopy  for  statues,  and  behind  this  a  row  of  slender 
columns  with  foliated  capitals." — (A.  F.  K.) 

Next  come  St.  Hugh's  two  semicircular  chapels, 
and  then  St.  Hugh's  transept,  slender  and  filled 
with  so  many  windows  that  the  wall  space  is  nearly 
taken  up  by  them.  On  top  of  each  of  the  two  tur- 
rets, surmounted  by  pyramidal  roofs,  stands  an 
angel.  Next  comes  the  Canon's  Vestry  and  then 
the  western  transept  with  the  conspicuous  Bishop's 
Eye.  We  pause  to  admire  this  beautiful  window 


LINCOLN  309 

from  the  outside  and  then  look  above  it  at  the 
horizontal  band  of  seven  elaborately  carved  quatre- 
foils.  Above  this  again  is  a  Fourteenth  Century 
window  with  flowing  tracery.  Around  the  gable 
runs  a  border  of  open  Gothic  tracery.  The  peak 
bears  a  cross. 

Next  comes  the  Nave,  the  seven  bays  of  which 
are  separated  by  buttresses.  Over  the  roof  of  the 
aisle  flying  buttresses  are  thrown.  A  slender  but- 
tress also  separates  the  windows  of  the  aisle.  The 
clerestory  windows  are  in  groups  of  three.  Over 
the  clerestory  is  a  wavy  parapet  of  the  Fourteenth 
Century,  where  stand  canopied  niches  for  statues. 
Grotesque  figures  project  from  their  bases.  Gro- 
tesque figures  also  project  from  the  crocketed  roofs 
of  the  pinnacles  of  the  great  transept. 

The  chapel,  used  as  the  Consistory  Court,  fol- 
lows with  two  windows  facing  south  and  two  east. 
On  the  east  end  of  the  latter,  in  front  of  the  win- 
dows, our  eyes  are  arrested  by  the  grotesque  Devil 
Looking  over  Lincoln.  The  sculptured  figures 
near  by  are  pilgrims.  Next  comes  St.  Hugh's 
Chapel,  or  the  Ringers'  Chapel,  with  one  window 
facing  the  south. 

From  the  road  at  the  north-east  corner  we  get 
a  good  general  view  of  the  Cathedral  and  the 
Chapter-House.  St.  Hugh's  transept  is  hidden,  but 
we  can  see  the  end  of  the  western  transept  with 
the  Dean's  Eye — the  large  quatrefoil  encircled  by 
sixteen  small  circles.  The  lancet  window  of  five 
lights  in  the  gable  above  it  is  also  visible. 

The  second  bay  on  the  north  side  of  the  Angel 
Choir  contains  the  Fleming  Chantry,  on  which 
the  two  chapels  on  the  south  side  were  modelled. 
Then  we  come  to  the  north  doorway  of  the  Angel 


310  LINCOLN 

Choir,  corresponding  to  the  more  ornate  entrance 
on  the  south. 

We  have  now  completed  our  survey  of  the  Cathe- 
dral and  have  not  yet  noticed  the  Central  Tower, 
considered  by  many  critics  the  finest  tower  in  Eng- 
land. It  rises  to  a  height  of  271  feet.  Two  lofty 
windows  adorn  each  side  of  the  upper  story  with 
their  crocketed  pillars  and  canopied  heads.  Octago- 
nal panelled  turrets,  surmounted  by  pinnacles,  orna- 
ment the  four  corners.  Grosseteste's  lattice-work 
pattern  covers  the  lower  part  within  and  without. 
The  tower  in  its  present  state  dates  from  1775, 
when  James  Essex  built  the  parapet  and  advised 
battlements  and  pinnacles  instead  of  a  spire.  The 
tall  spire  of  timber,  coated  with  lead,  that  completed 
the  tower  of  1311,  was  blown  down  in  1547,  carry- 
ing the  parapet  with  it;  and  again  in  1715  three  of 
the  pinnacles  were  blown  down  and  replaced  in 
1728.  In  1883  the  western  side  was  damaged  by  a 
storm,  but  was  repaired.  Here  "  Great  Tom  of 
Lincoln/'  the  fourth  largest  bell  in  England  (5  tons, 
8  cwt.),  seven  feet  in  diameter,  hangs.  Too  large 
to  ring,  the  hours  are  struck  on  it  with  a  hammer. 

The  original  Great  Tom  hung  in  the  north-west 
tower. 

"  It  is  not  known  how  it  was  acquired ;  some  say  it  was 
a  gift,  others  say  it  was  stolen  from  the  Abbey  of  Beau- 
chief,  Derbyshire,  or  from  Peterborough.  The  origin  of 
its  name,  too,  has  been  a  subject  of  dispute.  Stukeley 
considered  it  possible  that  it  had  been  consecrated  to  St. 
Thomas  of  Canterbury.  Others  think  it  took  its  name  from 
that  of  the  old  bell  of  Christ  Church,  Oxford,  which  bore 
the  curious  inscription,  In  Thomae  laude,  resono  Bim  Bom 
sine  fraude.  It  should  be  remembered  that  Oxford  was  in 
the  diocese  of  Lincoln  in  olden  days,  and  that  several 
Bishops  of  Lincoln  were  chancellors  of  Oxford.  Wherever 


LINCOLN  311 

the  first  '  Great  Tom '  came  from,  it  was  recast  in  the 
minster  yard  by  two  bell  founders  from  Nottingham  and 
Leicester  early  in  the  Seventeenth  Century,  when  the 
weight  was  increased  from  8,743  pounds  to  9,894^  pounds. 
'  The  bell  was  cast  and  hung  upp  and  upon  Sonday  the 
xxvij  of  this  month  [January,  1611]  ronge  owte  and  all 
safe  and  well.'  It  was  tolled  until  1802,  when  it  was  found 
that  this  process  shook  the  tower  too  much.  The  follow- 
ing extract  from  the  Stamford  Mercury  of  the  6th  August, 
1802,  is  given  by  North  in  his  '  Church  Bells  of  Lincoln- 
shire ' : — '  Great  Tom  o'  Lincoln  is  to  be  rung  no  more ! 
The  full  swing  of  four  tons  and  a  half  is  found  to  injure 
the  tower  where  he  hangs.  He  has  therefore  been  chained 
and  riveted  down;  so  that  instead  of  the  full  mouthful  he 
has  been  used  to  send  forth,  he  is  enjoined  in  future 
merely  to  wag  his  tongue.'  Towards  the  end  of  the  year 
1827  experienced  ears  detected  that  something  was  wrong, 
and  by  Christmas  it  became  plainly  evident  that  the  bell 
was  cracked.  It  was  finally  decided  to  have  it  recast  in  a 
larger  size.  For  this  purpose  it  was  broken  to  pieces  with 
its  own  clapper,  and  sent  to  London.  To  provide  the  extra 
metal,  the  six  Lady  Bells  were  unfortunately  sacrificed. 
The  cathedral  thus  lost  the  distinction  of  being  the  only 
one  in  the  kingdom  possessed  of  two  rings  of  bells. 
'  Great  Tom '  was  recast  by  Thomas  Mears  at  the  White- 
chapel  Bell  foundry  on  the  I5th  November,  1834.  It  was 
taken  by  road  to  Lincoln,  drawn  by  eight  horses,  and  raised 
to  its  new  position  in  the  central  tower.  Two  new  quarter 
bells,  cast  at  the  same  time,  were  also  hung  in  this  tower. 
The  number  of  quarter  bells  was  increased  in  1880  to 
four."— (A.  F.  K.) 

The  six  "  Lady  Bells/'  referred  to  above,  hung 
in  this  central  tower  (see  page  294).  When  they 
were  removed  in  1834  it  was  seen  that  four  were 
dated  1593;  one,  1633;  and  one,  1737. 

In  the  Thirteenth  Century  the  Minster  Yard, 
as  many  still  call  the  Cathedral  Close,  was  enclosed 
by  a  wall.  Several  massive  gates  formed  the  en- 
trances. Of  these  the  Exchequer,  a  large  arch- 


312  LINCOLN 

way,  with  a  postern  on  each  side  and  an  upper 
story,  remains  at  the  western  end.  Pottergate 
Arch,  at  the  top  of  the  new  road,  shows  us  what  an 
early  Fourteenth  Century  single  gate  was  like. 
Near  it  the  Grecian  Stairs  lead  up  to  the  Close. 


SOUTHWELL 

DEDICATION  :  ST.  MARY. 

CHIEF  FEATURE:  CHAPTER-HOUSE. 

For  many  centuries  the  Church  of  St.  Mary, 
Southwell,  was  under  the  dominion  of  York.  The 
clergy  had  many  privileges,  held  property,  lived  in 
their  own  houses,  like  country  gentlemen,  and 
hunted  in  the  forests  which  Robin  Hood  and  his 
merry  men  had  made  romantic;  for  Southwell  is 
not  far  from  legendary  Sherwood. 

The  church  became  a  Cathedral  in  1884.  It  dates 
in  the  main  from  the  Twelfth  Century,  though  a 
few  fragments  are  older.  It  is  supposed  that  the 
first  Saxon  church  was  destroyed  by  the  Danes ; 
the  next  is  said  to  have  been  built  by  King  Edgar 
in  960;  and  in  the  time  of  Henry  I.  was  rebuilt 
in  the  Norman  style.  Walter  de  Grey,  Archbishop 
of  York  (see  page  264),  rebuilt  the  nave  of  South- 
well, and  was  assisted  by  John  Romeyn,  sub- 
dean  (see  page  264). 

"In  the  Curvilinear  Period  (1315-1360)  was  erected 
quite  the  loveliest  choir-screen  in  England;  next  comes 
that  of  Lincoln,  evidently  by  the  same  hand.  Eastern  and 
western  sides  are  entirely  different  in  design;  on  the 
western  side  the  artist  parts  reluctantly  with  the  beautiful 
geometrical  design  of  the  Thirteenth  Century;  on  the  east- 
ern side  he  accepts  unreservedly  the  reign  of  the  ogee 
arch.  Magnificent  sedilia  and  stone  stalls  of  similar  char- 
acter were  erected,  which  only  survive  in  part.  Very  beau- 
tiful, too,  is  the  cusping  of  the  reticulated  windows  in- 
serted in  the  north  transept  chapel.  The  upper  parts  of  the 
Chapter-House  and  the  north  transept  chapel  also  were 

313 


3i4  SOUTHWELL 

remodelled  in  the  Curvilinear  Period.  For  two  hundred 
years  and  more,  the  highest  and  best  of  Mediaeval  art 
found  cultivated  and  wealthy  patrons  in  the  canons  of 
Southwell.  Norman,  Lancet,  Geometrical,  Curvilinear 
work  are  all  seen  here  at  their  best.  Few  of  our  cathe- 
drals, from  the  point  of  view  either  of  architectural  design 
or  sculptural  detail,  can  be  mentioned  in  the  same  breath 
with  Southwell.  It  is  one  of  the  greatest  delights  of 
Southwell  that  this  lovely  minster  is  little  known  and  al- 
most unvisited :  one  feels  as  if  one  were  '  the  first  that  ever 
burst  into  the  silent  sea'!" — (F.  B.) 

The  general  appearance  of  the  Cathedral  is  Nor- 
man. 

"  The  WEST  FRONT  has  been  altered  in  character  from 
its  original  Norman  work.  We  see  a  huge  Perpendicular 
window  with  an  embattled  parapet  over  it,  an  alteration 
made  in  the  Fifteenth  Century.  The  windows  in  the 
lower  stages  of  the  towers  are  modern  imitations  of  Nor- 
man work.  The  towers  have  seven  stages  and  the  sixth 
is  enriched  with  fine  arcading  composed  of  intersecting 
arches.  The  present  spires  are  modern  imitations  of  the 
originals  destroyed  by  fire  in  1711.  These  were  imme- 
diately restored  but  removed  in  1802,  and  have  now  again 
been  replaced.  The  old  Norman  doorway  is  remarkably 
fine.  It  has  five  orders,  the  zigzag  and  the  filleted  edge 
roll  being  the  chief  mouldings. 

"  Passing  to  the  south  side  we  see  the  walls  of  the  nave 
pierced  by  apparent  Norman  windows,  but  these  are  mod- 
ern imitations.  The  most  western  window  in  the  north 
side  is  the  only  original  Norman  window;  the  rest  are 
copied  from  it,  and  were  erected  in  1847.  Four  Perpen- 
dicular windows  were  inserted  in  the  Fifteenth  Century. 
There  is  a  row  of  small  square  windows  above  which  light 
the  triforium,  and  the  clerestory  has  a  curious  series  of 
circular  windows  which  are  unique  in  this  country.  The 
roof  is  high-pitched,  having  been  erected  in  modern  times 
by  the  architect  Christian,  and  the  parapets  are  Perpendicu- 
lar in  style.  The  south  doorway  should  be  noticed,  of 
Norman  workmanship  with  zigzag  string-course  over  it." — 
(P.  H.  D.) 


SOUTHWELL  315 

The  Choir  is  Early  English  and  much  resembles 
that  of  Lincoln.  The  dog-tooth  is  very  evident. 
The  windows  are  lancet.  The  two  flying-buttresses 
on  the  south  were  added  in  the  Decorated  period. 

The  Chapter-House  is  on  the  north,  and  its  simi- 
larity to  that  of  York  will  strike  every  one  who  has 
seen  the  flos  florum  of  the  great  Minster  of  the 
north.  It  is  supposed  the  same  architect  (probably 
John  Romeyn)  designed  both.  This  is  octagonal. 
The  windows  are  of  three  lights,  with  trefoil  and 
circular  ones  in  the  heads.  The  roof  is  modern. 

The  North  porch  is  much  admired.  The  inner 
doorway  has  a  zigzag  and  beak-head  moulding. 
In  the  parvise  above  (very  unusual  in  a  porch  of 
this  date),  the  wife  of  William  Clay,  a  hunted 
Royalist,  was  hidden  during  the  Civil  War.  Here 
her  child  was  born. 

We  enter  by  the  west  door  and  gain  a  view  of 
the  Nave. 

"Looking  down  the  nave  (1110-1150)  we  are  impressed 
by  the  massive  appearance  of  the  interior.  The  piers  are 
rather  short,  only  19  feet  high,  six  on  each  side,  with 
square  bases  and  round  capitals.  The  triforium  is  large, 
and  above  is  the  clerestory  with  its  unique  plain  circular 
windows.  The  Norman  mouldings,  zigzag,  billet,  hatchet, 
etc.,  are  easily  recognized.  The  present  roof  was  erected 
in  1881.  The  Font,  erected  in  1661,  is  a  poor  substitute  for 
the  one  destroyed  by  the  soldiers  of  Cromwell.  The 
Pulpit  is  modern.  The  second  pillar  from  the  east  on 
the  south  side  is  called  Pike's  Pillar,  and  retains  faint 
traces  of  a  mural  painting  of  the  Annunciation;  the  nave 
aisles  have  some  good  vaulting.  A  plain  stone  bench  runs 
along  the  walls.  This  was  common  in  old  churches  and 
was  the  origin  of  the  saying  '  Let  the  weakest  go  to  the 
wall,'  where  they  could  sit  and  rest,  as  the  days  of  pews 
were  not  yet.  The  only  original  Norman  window  which 
remains  is  at  the  west  end  of  the  north  aisle." — (P.  H.  D.) 


316  SOUTHWELL 

The  Transepts  are  Norman.  At  the  east  end  of 
each  the  original  plan  included  an  apsidal  chapel. 
The  south  transept  still  retains  the  arch  with  its 
zigzag  and  cable  mouldings  that  connected  it  with 
the  transept.  The  chapel  at  the  east  end  of  the 
north  transept  has  also  gone,  but  here  we  find  on 
its  site  a  Late  Early  English  construction,  with 
still  later  windows  (Decorated).  In  the  upper 
floor  the  Library  is  situated. 

The  Tower  is  Norman,  built  in  1150.  A  cable 
moulding  runs  around  the  four  large  arches.  It 
contains  a  peal  of  bells. 

"A  stone  screen  of  rich  Decorated  work  separates  the 
transept  from  the  choir,  over  which  is  now  the  organ  (a 
modern  instrument).  The  screen  is  richly  ornamented,  and 
a  noble  specimen  of  the  work  of  the  period.  There  are 
three  arches  opening  to  the  space  beneath  the  tower,  sepa- 
rated by  slight  piers  of  clustered  shafts,  the  capitals 
carved  with  foliage  of  a  Late  Decorated  character.  The 
walls  of  the  screen  support  the  old  rood-loft,  access  to 
which  is  gained  by  two  staircases. 

"Entering  the  Choir  we  see  on  each  side  of  the  door- 
way three  prebendal  stalls  with  misereres,  on  which  are 
carved  some  foliage.  The  Bishop's  Stall  was  once  occu- 
pied by  Cardinal  Wolsey.  The  choir  was  built  by  Arch- 
bishop Grey  in  Early  English  style  (1230-1250).  There  are 
six  arches,  -with  piers  of  eight  clustered  shafts.  The  dog- 
tooth moulding  is  conspicuous  in  the  arches  and  on  the 
vaulting  of  the  roof.  It  will  be  noticed  that  the  triforium 
and  clerestory  are  blended  together.  The  east  window 
consists  of  two  rows  of  lancets,  the  lower  ones  con- 
taining old  glass  brought  from  Paris  in  1815,  where  it  was 
formerly  in  the  Chapel  of  the  Knights  Templar.  The 
Baptism  of  Our  Lord;  Raising  of  Lazarus  (Francis  I.  is 
to  be  seen  in  a  crimson  cap)  ;  Christ  entering  Jerusalem 
(Luther  is  near  Our  Lord,  Louis  XI.  and  the  Duke  of 
Orleans)  ;  the  Mocking  of  Our  Lord  (the  figure  of  Dante 
appears). 
"The  Sedilia  were  erected  in  1350  and  are  good  Deco- 


SOUTHWELL  :   CHAPTER-HOUSE  AND  DOOR 


H 

I 


O 
D 

§ 
§ 


H 
W 


SOUTHWELL  317 

rated  work.  They  have  the  unusual  number  of  five  seats 
on  the  same  level.  The  arches  are  ogee-shaped  and  are 
richly  carved.  The  sculptured  figures  are  remarkable,  and 
represent  the  Creation  and  the  Redemption.  Beginning  at 
the  east  we  see  the  Father  holding  the  world  (two  groups 
uncertain),  Joseph's  Dream,  the  Nativity  and  Flight  into 
Egypt. 

"  The  Lectern  belonged  to  the  monks  of  Newstead 
Abbey,  who  threw  it  into  the  lake  to  hide  it  from  the  com- 
missioners of  Henry  VIII.  Its  date  is  about  1500." — 
(P.  H.  D.) 

Entering  a  beautiful  doorway  in  the  north-choir- 
aisle  we  pass  through  a  vestibule  into  the  Chapter- 
House. 

"  The  transition  between  the  Early  English  work  of  the 
choir  and  the  Decorated  style  of  the  Chapter-House  is 
very  gradual.  The  doorway,  with  its  two  arches  and  shafts 
of  Purbeck  marble,  is  remarkably  fine.  There  is  a  small 
cloister  court,  with  a  stone-covered  well.  In  the  vestibule 
we  see  the  walls  covered  with  beautiful  arcading  of  lancet 
arches  of  an  Early  English  character.  The  capitals  are 
beautifully  carved  with  foliage.  There  is  a  curious  boss  of 
sculpture  representing  a  secular  priest  shaking  the  regular 
monk  by  the  hair,  which  figuratively  depicts  the  supremacy 
of  the  former  in  the  church  of  Southwell. 

"The  Chapter-House  (1285-1300)  is  described  by  Ruskin 
as  '  the  gem  of  English  architecture/  and  all  architects 
agree  in  singing  the  praises  of  this  noble  building.  It 
much  resembles  that  of  York,  but  is  smaller  and  perhaps 
more  beautiful.  It  is  octagonal,  has  no  central  pillar,  and 
is  remarkable  for  its  fine  sculpture.  The  historian  of 
Southwell  says :  *  The  foliage  everywhere  is  most  beautiful : 
the  oak,  the  vine,  the  maple,  the  white-thorn,  the  rose, 
with  a  vast  variety  of  other  plants,  are  sculptured  with 
exquisite  freedom  and  delicacy;  and  no  two  capitals,  or 
bosses  or  spandrels  are  found  alike.  Everywhere  we  meet, 
in  ever-changing  and  ever-charming  variety,  with  some 
fresh  object  of  interest  and  admiration.  Figures  are  in- 
troduced amid  the  foliage,  heads  with  branches  issuing  out 
of  their  mouths,  birds  and  lizard-like  monsters.  In  the 


3i8  SOUTHWELL 

capitals  a  man  reclines  beneath  a  tree,  puffing  lustily  at  a 
horn,  or  a  goat  is  gnawing  the  leaves,  or  a  bird  pecking  the 
berries,  or  a  pair  of  pigs  are  grunting  up  the  acorns,  or 
a  brace  of  hounds  just  grabbing  a  hare.  All  this  is  the 
work  of  no  mere  chiseller  of  stone,  but  of  a  consummate 
artist;  than  whom  it  may  be  doubted  whether  any  sculptor 
of  any  age  or  country  ever  produced  anything  more  life- 
like and  exquisitely  graceful.'  The  entrance  doorway  is 
remarkably  fine  and  is  worthy  of  close  study.  The  main 
arch  is  divided  into  two  by  a  slender  shaft,  and  over  them 
is  a  quatrefoiled  circle  of  beautiful  design.  The  leaf  orna- 
ment is  largely  used,  both  in  the  smaller  arches  and  in  the 
main  arch.  Filleted  rounds  and  hollows  are  the  other 
mouldings  used."— (P.  H.  D.) 


PETERBOROUGH 

DEDICATION:  ST.  PETER.    CHURCH  OF  A  BENEDICTINE  MON- 
ASTERY. 
SPECIAL  FEATURES  :  THE  WEST  FRONT  ;  THE  NEW  BUILDING. 

THE  great  fenland  monastery  of  St.  Peter,  the 
holy  house  of  Medeshampstead,  attracting  houses 
around  it,  grew  into  a  borough,  and  finally  into 
a  city — Peterborough.  The  village  was  first  called 
Medeshampstead — homestead  in  the  meadows.  For 
centuries  the  settlement  had  no  interests  outside 
the  monastery.  In  the  Seventh  Century  Penda, 
King  of  Mercia,  and  his  family  were  converted  to 
Christianity,  and  it  was  his  son  Penda  who  founded 
the  monastery  here  in  654.  The  first  monastery 
was  destroyed  by  the  Danes  in  870.  It  lay  in  ruins 
for  a  hundred  years.  With  the  religious  revival 
under  Duncan  and  King  Edgar,  the  holy  house 
of  Medeshampstead  was  rebuilt  by  Bishop  Ethel- 
wold,  of  Winchester,  and  henceforth  known  as  the 
Burgh. 

The  foundations  of  the  old  Saxon  church  still 
remain  under  the  east  wall  of  the  south  transept. 
It  is  related  that  when  King  Edgar  visited  the  mon- 
astery and  saw  some  old  deeds  he  wept  for  joy  on 
reading  the  privileges  of  the  place  and  granted  a 
new  charter  renewing  and  confirming  these.  The 
church  seems  to  have  been,  even  in  those  days, 
dedicated  to  St.  Peter.  The  Abbey  flourished  for 
a  time ;  then  it  was  plundered  by  Hereward,  the 
Saxon  leader,  and  suffered  also  from  fire  while  the 
319 


320  PETERBOROUGH 

monks  were  carousing.  In  the  time  of  Henry  I. 
a  great  fire  destroyed  the  whole  building.  The 
picturesque  imagination  of  the  period  attributed 
it  to  a  servant,  who,  trying  unsuccessfully  to  light  a 
fire  in  the  bakehouse,  lost  his  temper  and  called 
upon  Satan  for  aid,  crying  "  Veni,  Diabole,  et  in- 
suffla  ignem." 

John  de  Sais,  who  was  then  Abbot  (1114-1125), 
began  the  building  of  a  new  minster,  the  one  that 
we  now  see.  As  usual  the  work  was  begun  at  the 
east  end.  The  choir  was  finished  with  an  apse.  A 
small  apse  also  terminated  each  choir-aisle.  The 
whole  church  was  in  progress  of  building  for  eighty 
years.  This  was  all  Norman  work  of  course. 

The  western  transept,  dating  from  the  close  of 
the  Twelfth  and  beginning  of  the  Thirteenth  Cen- 
tury, shows  a  change. 

"The  Norman  style  was  giving  place  to  the  lighter  and 
more  elegant  architecture  of  the  Early  English  period,  the 
round  arch  was  beginning  to  be  superseded  by  the  pointed 
arch,  and  the  massive  ornamentation  which  marks  the 
earlier  style  was  displaced  by  the  conventional  foliage  that 
soon  came  to  be  very  generally  employed.  Most  wisely,  how- 
ever, the  Peterborough  builders  made  their  work  at  the  west 
end  of  the  nave  intentionally  uniform  with  what  was  already 
built.  Very  numerous  indications  of  this  can  be  seen  by 
careful  observers.  The  bases  of  the  western  pillars,  the 
change  in  the  depth  of  the  mouldings,  characteristic  changes 
in  the  capitals  in  the  triforium  range,  and  especially  the 
grand  arches  below  the  transept  towers,  which  are  pointed 
but  enriched  with  ornamentation  of  pronounced  Norman 
character,  all  point  to  the  later  date  of  this  western 
transept. 

"At  the  west  wall  of  the  church  all  trace  of  Norman 
work  disappears.  The  arcade  near  the  ground,  the  large 
round  arch  above  the  door,  the  great  west  window  and  its 
adjacent  arches  (not,  of  course,  including^the  late  tracery), 
are  all  of  distinct  Early  English  character.  The  whole  of 


PETERBOROUGH  321 

this  wall  may  be  held  to  be  an  integral  part  of  the  west 
front,  and  not  of  the  transept  which  it  bounds. 

"  When  we  come  to  the  most  distinctive  feature  of  the 
cathedral,  the  glorious  west  front,  we  find  we  have  no 
help  whatever  from  the  chronicles.  Nowhere  is  there  the 
smallest  reference  to  its  building.  Other  works  raised  by 
the  Abbots  of  the  period  are  named,  but  the  noble  western 
portico  is  never  once  mentioned." — (W.  D.  S.) 

According  to  Matthew  Paris  the  church  was 
dedicated  in  1238  by  the  Bishop  of  Lincoln,  Robert 
Grosseteste. 

In  the  Thirteenth  Century  many  changes  were 
made.  The  bell-tower  was  built,  and  bells  from 
London,  called  Les  Londreis,  were  hung  in  it.  The 
Lady-Chapel  (now  destroyed)  was  built  in  1272  at 
the  east  of  the  north  transept  (as  at  Ely). 

In  the  Fourteenth  Century  the  great  round  east 
and  west  arches  of  the  central  tower  were  changed 
into  pointed  ones,  perhaps  because  the  tower  at 
Ely  had  fallen  in  1321  and  the  monks  wanted  to 
strengthen  theirs.  Then  they  began  to  change  all 
the  triforium  windows  in  the  nave  and  choir  from 
Norman  to  Decorated.  Next,  the  central  porch 
was  added  to  the  west  front.  During  the  Perpen- 
dicular period  all  the  Norman  windows  that  had 
not  been  altered  were  now  filled  with  Perpendicular 
tracery;  the  great  west  window  was  also  brought 
up  to  date,  the  battlements  were  added  to  the  cor- 
ner turrets,  and  the  New  Building  tacked  on  to  the 
East  End  of  the  choir. 

A  popular  story  related  that  Henry  VIII.  spared 
the  church  because  his  queen,  Katherine  of  Aragon, 
was  buried  there.  At  any  rate,  he  made  Peter- 
borough a  cathedral  in  1541,  when  he  suppressed 
the  monasteries. 

The   great  historical   event   in   connection   with 


322  PETERBOROUGH 

Peterborough  was  the  burial  of  Mary,  Queen  of 
Scots,  in  1587. 

Cromwell's  soldiers  made  sad  havoc.  Dean  Pat- 
rick informs  us  that 

"  The  next  day  after  their  arrival,  early  in  the  morning 
they  break  open  the  church  doors,  pull  down  the  organs  of 
which  there  were  two  pair. 

"  Then  the  soldiers  enter  the  quire,  and  their  first  busi- 
ness was  to  tear  in  pieces  all  the  common  prayer-books  that 
could  be  found.  Next  they  break  down  all  the  seats, 
stalls  and  wainscot  that  was  behind  them,  being  adorned 
with  several  historical  passages  out  of  the  Old  Testament. 

"  Now  behind  the  communion-table  there  stood  a  curi- 
ous piece  of  stone-work,  admired  much  by  strangers  and 
travellers:  a  stately  skreen  it  was,  well  wrought,  painted 
and  gilt,  which  rose  up  as  high  almost  as  the  roof  of  the 
church,  in  a  row  of  three  lofty  spires,  with  other  lesser 
spires  growing  out  of  them.  This  now  had  no  imagery 
work  upon  it,  or  anything  else  that  might  justly  give 
offence,  and  yet  because  it  bore  the  name  of  the  high  altar, 
was  pulled  down  with  ropes,  lay'd  low  and  level  with  the 
ground. 

"  Over  this  place,  in  the  roof  of  the  church,  in  a  large  oval 
yet  to  be  seen,  was  the  picture  of  Our  Saviour  seated  on 
a  throne;  one  hand  erected  and  holding  a  globe  in  the 
other,  attended  with  the  four  Evangelists  and  saints  on 
each  side,  with  crowns  in  their  hands,  intended,  I  suppose, 
for  a  representation  of  Our  Saviour's  coming  to  judgment. 
This  was  defaced  and  spoilt  by  the  discharge  of  muskets. 

"  Then  they  rob  and  rifle  the  tombs  and  violate  the 
monuments  of  the  dead.  .  .  . 

"  When  they  had  thus  demolished  the  chief  monuments, 
at  length  the  very  gravestones  and  marbles  on  the  floor 
did  not  escape  their  sacrilegious  hands.  For  where  there 
was  anything  on  them  of  sculptures  or  inscriptions  in  brass, 
these  they  force  and  tear  off. 

"  Having  thus  done  their  work  on  the  floor  below,  they 
are  now  at  leisure  to  look  up  at  the  windows  above. 

"  Now  the  windows  of  this  church  were  very  fair,  being 
adorned  and  beautified  with  several  historical  passages 


PETERBOROUGH  323 

out  of  Scripture  and  ecclesiastical  story;  such  were  those 
in  the  body  of  the  church,  in  the  aisles,  in  the  New  Build- 
ing, and  elsewhere.  But  the  cloister  windows  were  most 
famed  of  all,  for  their  great  art  and  pleasing  variety.  One 
side  of  the  quadrangle  containing  the  history  of  the  Old 
Testament;  another,  that  of  the  New;  a  third,  the  founding 
and  founders  of  the  church;  a  fourth,  all  the  kings  of 
England  downwards  from  the  first  Saxon  king.  All  which 
notwithstanding  were  most  shamefully  broken  and  de- 
stroyed. Yea,  to  encourage  them  the  more  in  this  trade  of 
breaking  and  battering  windows  down,  Cromwell  himself 
(as  'twas  reported)  espying  a  little  crucifix  in  a  window 
aloft,  which  none  perhaps  before  had  scarce  observed,  gets 
a  ladder  and  breaks  it  down  zealously  with  his  own  hand. 
"  Thus,  in  a  short  time,  a  fair  and  goodly  structure  was 
quite  stript  of  all  its  ornamental  beauty,  and  made  a 
ruthful  spectacle,  a  very  chaos  of  desolation  and  con- 
fusion, nothing  scarce  remaining  but  only  bare  walls, 
broken  seats  and  shattr'd  windows  on  every  side." — (P.) 

The  old  story  of  neglect — "  scarce  any  cathedral 
in  England  is  more  neglected,"  wrote  Browne  Willis 
in  1742 — is  told  of  Peterborough  in  the  Eighteenth 
Century;  but  in  1764-1791  Dean  Tarrant  collected 
all  the  fragments  of  stained  glass  and  inserted  them 
in  the  two  central  windows  of  the  apse.  They  deal 
chiefly  with  scenes  in  the  life  of  St.  Peter.  The 
late  history  of  the  Cathedral  is  only  that  of  repairs, 
restorations,  and  gifts. 

We  enter  the  Minster  Precincts  by  the  western 
gateway,  built  by  Abbot  Benedict,  in  the  Norman 
style,  in  the  Twelfth  Century.  It  was  altered  at 
the  end  of  the  Fourteenth  Century.  The  approach 
is  monastic  in  the  extreme.  The  room  over  the  gate 
was  once  the  Chapel  of  St.  Nicholas.  After  passing 
through  this  gate,  on  the  left  hand  we  see  all  that 
remains  of  the  Chapel  of  St.  Thomas  of  Canterbury 
(Fourteenth  Century).  The  various  gateways, 
doors,  arcades,  and  remains  of  ancient  buildings 


324  PETERBOROUGH 

harmonize  well  with  the  venerable  and  elegant  Ca- 
thedral. 

"  A  fine  view  of  the  best  feature  of  Peterborough,  the 
west  front,  is  immediately  opened  with  a  foreground  of 
smooth  turf.  The  great  portico,  with  its  three  arches, 
eighty  feet  high,  of  pure  Early  English  style,  is  unlike  any- 
thing else  in  England,  and  inspires  universal  surprise  and 
admiration.  It  was  built  on  the  old  Norman  church,  but 
does  not  actually  touch  the  western  walls. 

"  The  spires  of  the  portico  are  of  different  sizes  and 
designs.  The  northern  does  not  group  well  with  the 
transeptal  tower  behind  it,  and  there  is  a  certain  confusion 
to  the  eye  when  so  many  towers  are  in  our  view.  The 
southern  transeptal  tower  was  never  carried  above  the 
roof.  The  central  tower  over  the  choir  after  being  re- 
peatedly repaired  and  restored,  fell  in  1884,  destroying  the 
interior  fittings  and  stalls,  but,  on  the  whole,  doing  less 
damage  than  might  have  been  expected.  The  tower  has 
been  rebuilt,  but  not  to  the  old  pattern,  and  the  four 
corner  turrets  have  disappeared." — (W.  J.  L.) 

The  West  Front,  with  its  three  magnificent  door- 
ways and  original  wooden  doors,  was  the  work  of 
Abbots  Zachary  and  Robert  of  Lindsay  (about  1200 
to  1222). 

"  Immediately  before  us  we  see  the  noble  West  Front 
'the  pride  and  glory  of  Peterborough/  the  finest  portico 
in  Europe.  With  the  exception  of  the  porch,  the  style  is 
pure  Early  English.  On  the  north  and  south  are  two 
lofty  turrets,  flanked  at  the  angles  with  clustered 
shafts,  and  crowned  with  spires.  Between  these  are 
three  pointed  arches,  supported  by  clustered  shafts, 
six  on  each  side  with  foliated  capitals.  The  central 
arch  is  narrower  than  the  rest,  but  its  mouldings  are 
ornamented  with  crockets  and  dog-tooth.  A  string-course 
runs  along  the  top  of  the  arches,  and  the  spandrels  have 
trefoils,  quatrefoils  and  niches  with  statues.  Above  the 
string-course  is  a  series  of  trefoiled  arches,  some  of 
which  have  statues.  Between  the  three  gables  are  pin- 
nacles much  ornamented.  The  gables  have  circular  win- 


PETERBOROUGH  325 

dows  of  beautiful  design  and  a  cross  on  the  apex;  they 
are  ornamented  with  dog-tooth  and  have  niches  with 
statues — St.  Peter  in  the  centre,  with  SS.  John  and  An- 
drew on  either  side.  The  turrets  on  the  north  and  south 
have  six  stages  panelled  with  arches.  The  spires  are 
good  examples  of  the  difference  between  those  of  the  Early 
Decorated  and  Perpendicular  periods.  The  south  spire  is 
connected  with  the  pinnacles  of  the  tower  by  clustered 
pinnacles  springing  from  an  arch ;  these  are  decorated  with 
crockets,  and  the  spire  belongs  to  the  early  Fourteenth 
Century;  whereas  the  spire  on  the  north  has  no  such  con- 
nection and  is  Early  Perpendicular. 

"  We  now  notice  the  Porch  with  the  parvise  over  it. 
This  was  built  late  in  the  Fourteenth  Century  in  order 
to  give  additional  strength  to  the  west  front  and  act  as  a 
kind  of  buttress  to  the  piers  of  the  central  arch.  The 
design  is  very  beautiful.  The  entrance  has  an  obtuse 
arch,  and  above  a  Perpendicular  window  with  elliptical 
arch.  Buttresses  empanelled  with  niches  stand  on  each 
side.  It  has  a  stone  vault  of  good  design.  One  boss  is 
curious,  representing  the  Trinity.  The  attitude  of  the 
Saviour  shows  that  the  figure  was  designed  by  a  free- 
mason, and  bears  witness  to  the  antiquity  of  that  frater- 
nity. The  parvise  is  now  a  library." — (P.  H.  D.) 

In  the  latter  years  of  the  Fourteenth  Century 
the  central  porch,  with  its  upper  room,  Parvise,  was 
added  between  the  two  middle  piers  of  the  west 
front.  It  has  been  regarded  by  some  critics  as  a 
blemish  and  by  others  as  an  improvement,  but  it 
was  probably  a  necessity  for  the  purpose  of  extra 
stability. 

"  The  construction  of  this  elegant  little  edifice  is  ex- 
tremely scientific,  especially  in  the  matter  in  which  the 
thrust  is  distributed  through  the  medium  of  the  side 
turrets  so  as  to  fall  upon  the  buttresses  in  front.  These 
turrets  being  erected  against  one  side  of  the  triangular 
columns,  on  the  right  and  the  left  hand,  support  them 
in  two  directions  at  once,  viz.,  from  collapsing  towards 
each  other,  and  from  falling  forward.  The  latter  pressure 


326  PETERBOROUGH 

is  thrown  wholly  upon  the  buttresses  in  front,  which 
project  seven  feet  beyond  the  base  of  the  great  pillars." — 
(F.  A.  P.) 

Turning  now  to  a  description : 

"  It  is  vaulted  in  two  bays,  the  first  being  of  the  same 
dimensions  as  the  inner  width  of  the  portico;  the  western 
bay  (of  the  same  size)  thus  reaches  beyond  the  two  great 
piers  and  the  corner  turrets  and  buttresses  in  all  project 
about  seven  feet.  This  gives  a  very  substantial  support 
to  the  piers.  The  whole  composition  is  very  fine,  and 
quite  worthy  of  the  great  portico  to  which  it  is  an  ad- 
junct. It  must  be  left  to  each  spectator  to  decide  for 
himself  if  it  improves  or  diminishes  the  effect  of  the 
whole.  It  is  of  late  Decorated  date,  highly  enriched  with 
profuse  carving.  The  staircase  turrets,  as  well  as  the 
great  window,  are  embattled.  The  spaces  north  and 
south,  and  within  the  portico,  have  tracery  on  the  walls 
similar  to  the  window.  The  groining  is  very  fine.  One 
of  the  central  bosses  has  a  representation  of  the  Trinity. 
The  Father  is  represented  as  the  Ancient  of  Days,  with 
a  Dove  for  the  Holy  Spirit  above  the  shoulder  and  the 
figure  of  the  Saviour  on  the  Cross  in  front.  Freemasons 
are  recommended  to  look  for  a  special  symbol  which  they 
alone  can  understand  and  appreciate.  The  floor  of  the 
portico  is  paved  with  gravestones,  some  apparently  in  their 
original  position.  The  place  was  at  one  time  appropri- 
ated as  a  burial-place  for  the  Minor  Canons." — (W.  D.  S.) 

This  porch  hides  the  fine  central  doorway,  which 
is  divided  by  a  central  pillar.  A  Benedictine  monk 
tortured  by  demons — probably  a  hint  to  the  brothers 
—is  carved  upon  it. 

"  With  a  few  exceptions,  the  whole  of  the  interior  of  the 
Cathedral  is  in  the  Norman  style,  and  many  judge  it  to 
be  the  most  perfect  specimen  in  England.  The  plan  con- 
sists of  a  nave  of  ten  bays,  with  aisles  and  a  western 
transept;  transepts  of  four  bays,  terminating  in  an  apse, 
nearly  semicircular,  with  aisles;  and  beyond  the  apse  a 
Jarge  square-ended  addition  for  more  chapels  having  a 


PETERBOROUGH  327 

groined  stone-roof  of  fan-tracery,  now  known  as  the  New 
Building.  The  ritual  choir,  as  distinguished  from  the 
architectural  choir,  extends  two  bays  into  the  nave.  This 
arrangement  is  a  return  to  the  ancient  one  used  by  the 
Benedictines,  the  choir  in  Dean  Monk's  alterations  hav- 
ing been  limited  to  the  position  east  of  the  central  tower. 
"  As  we  enter  at  the  west  door  we  see  at  a  glance  the 
entire  length  and  the  whole  beauty  of  the  admirable  propor- 
tion of  the  several  parts.  While  many  may  wish  that  the 
great  arches  of  the  tower  which  can  be  seen  from  the  west 
end  had  never  been  altered  from  the  round  form  of  the 
Norman  builders,  few  will  regret  that  the  Decorated 
arches  which  took  their  place  were  retained  when  the 
tower  was  rebuilt,  instead  of  having  new  arches  in  the 
Norman  style  substituted.  The  want  of  colour  which  is 
so  marked  a  defect  in  many  English  cathedrals  is  not  so 
conspicuous  here,  because  of  the  painted  ceiling." — (W. 
D.  S.) 

There  is  no  Norman  work  at  the  west  wall.  The 
great  doorway  has  a  round  arch,  but  the  arcade  at 
the  base  consists  of  pointed  arches.  The  mouldings 
here  are  Early  English;  and  it  is  inside  an  Early 
English  arch  that  the  West  Window  of  Perpen- 
dicular tracery  is  set.  We  may  note  that  the 
glass  is  modern  and  a  memorial  to  officers  and  sol- 
diers who  were  killed  in  the  South  African  War. 

The  West  Transept  extends  beyond  the  aisles. 
The  enormous  pointed  arches  have  Norman  mould- 
ings. In  the  south  end  is  a  Font  of  the  Thirteenth 
Century ;  the  north  end  is  a  vestry. 

"  As  we  enter  we  notice  the  distinctive  character  of  the 
Norman  work  of  which  this  Cathedral  is  a  notable  and 
excellent  example.  In  the  extreme  west  there  is  a  blend- 
ing of  the  two  styles  of  Norman  and  Early  English,  but 
the  monks  of  Peterborough  clung  tenaciously  to  their  old 
ideas  and  to  Norman  and  Romanesque  models,  and  right  up 
to  the  end  of  the  Twelfth  Century  built  in  this  style,  not 
from  any  desire  to  imitate  the  work  of  their  predecessors 


328  PETERBOROUGH 

(as  some  writers  assert),  but  from  an  obstinate  adherence 
to  conservative  tradition.  Even  when  the  glorious  tide  of 
English  Gothic  was  rising,  and  they  could  no  longer  resist 
the  flood,  they  clung  to  the  old  zigzag  mouldings.  It  is 
evident  from  the  construction  of  the  third  column  that  they 
intended  to  end  their  church  there;  but  happily  the  Thir- 
teenth Century  brethren  decided  to  rear  the  noble  twin- 
towered  front  and  the  perfect  portico.  Some  of  the  later 
columns  show  Transition  work;  on  one  side  we  see  a 
Norman  base  or  capital,  on  the  other  an  Early  English. 

"  There  is  a  grand  uninterrupted  view  of  the  whole 
length  of  the  Cathedral  from  west  to  east.  It  will  be  ob- 
served that  the  lower  arch  is  Decorated,  and  this  adds  to 
the  beauty  of  this  view.  Before  leaving  the  west  we 
notice  some  dog-tooth  carved  in  wood,  which  is  somewhat 
rare."— (P.  H.  D.) 

The  Nave  consists  of  ten  bays,  with  Norman 
arches.  The  triforium  arches  are  Norman;  the 
clerestory  windows  are  Perpendicular.  The  ceiling 
is  very  peculiar  and  very  interesting,  and  is,  more- 
over, original  Norman. 

"All  agree  that  the  style  of  the  painting  is  perfectly 
characteristic  of  the  period.  The  divisions  are  of  the 
lozenge  shape;  in  each  lozenge  of  the  central  line  is  a 
figure,  and  in  each  alternate  one  of  the  sides.  The  mid- 
dle set  has  more  elongated  lozenges  than  the  others. 
The  borders  are  black  and  white,  with  some  coloured 
lines,  in  odd  zigzag  patterns.  The  figures,  which  are 
mostly  seated,  are  very  quaint  and  strange.  Some  are 
sacred,  some  grotesque.  We  can  see  St.  Peter  with  the 
keys,  kings,  queens  and  minstrels ;  we  find  also  a  head 
with  two  faces,  a  monkey  riding  backwards  on  a  goat, 
a  human  figure  with  head  and  hoof  of  an  ass,  a  horse 
playing  a  harp,  a  winged  dragon,  a  dancing  lion,  an  eagle, 
and  other  curious  devices." — (W.  D.  S.) 

The  Choir  begins  with  the  two  east  bays  of  the 
nave  (the  same  arrangement  occurs  at  Norwich), 
and  runs  through  the  space  under  the  tower  and 


o 
H 
U 


o 

o 
& 
o 
n 


o 

CO 


o 


g 


P-I 


PETERBOROUGH  329 

takes  up  four  bays  east  of  the  tower.     The  piers 
are  alternately  round  and  polygonal. 

"  This  portion  was  the  earliest  part  of  the  Cathedral, 
and  was  constructed  by  Abbot  de  Sais  (1114-1125).  The 
hatchet  moulding  is  conspicuous.  The  triforium  arches 
are  double  like  the  nave,  and  the  clerestory  has  triple 
arches,  the  centre  one  being  the  highest.  The  apse  is 
particularly  fine.  The  Decorated  style  is  evident  in  the 
windows,  which  were  inserted  in  the  Fourteenth  Cen- 
tury instead  of  the  old  Norman  ones,  and  the  hanging 
tracery  of  graceful  design  was  then  added.  The  roof 
of  the  choir  is  late  Fourteenth  Century  work  except  at  the 
east  end  where  the  roof  is  flat.  Here  Cromwell's  soldiers 
discharged  their  muskets  at  the  figure  of  our  Lord  in  glory, 
which  they  deemed  to  be  an  idol.  This  ceiling  was  deco- 
rated in  1884  by  Sir  Gilbert  Scott.  The  bosses  of  the  rest 
of  the  roof  are  curious.  Nearly  all  the  old  glass  was  de- 
stroyed in  the  Puritan  desecration ;  the  remaining  frag- 
ments have  been  placed  in  the  two  highest  east  windows. 
The  fittings  of  the  choir  are  modern  except  an  ancient 
lectern  of  Fifteenth  Century  date,  given  by  Abbot  Ramsay 
and  Prior  Maiden,  as  the  inscription  testifies,  though  it  is 
now  scarcely  legible.  The  choir-stalls  are  remarkably  fine. 
The  carved  figures  contain  a  history  of  the  Cathedral 
written  in  wood." — (P.  H.  D.) 

Passing  behind  the  High  Altar  we  come  to  the 
Retro-Choir,  or  New  Building: 

"  The  New  Building  built  beyond  the  apse  is  a  very 
noble  specimen  of  late  Perpendicular  work.  It  was  begun 
by  Abbot  Richard  Ashton  (1438-1471)  and  completed  by 
Abbot  Robert  Kirton  (1496-1528)  :  the  works  seem  to  have 
been  suspended  between  these  periods.  The  roof  has  the 
beautiful  fan  tracery,  very  similar  on  a  small  scale  to 
that  at  King's  College  Chapel  at  Cambridge.  The  build- 
ing is  of  the  width  of  the  choir  and  aisles  together. 

"  The  junction  of  this  addition  with  the  original  Norman 
apse  is  admirable,  and  should  be  specially  noticed.  Parts 
of  the  original  external  string-course  of  the  apse  can  be 


330  PETERBOROUGH 

seen.  The  ornamentation  on  the  bosses  of  the  roof  and  in 
the  cavetto  below  the  windows,  and  round  the  great  arches 
from  the  choir  aisles,  is  very  varied. 

"  It  must  be  sufficient  here  to  indicate  some  of  the 
designs.  Most  need  little  explanation,  but  a  few  are  hard 
to  understand.  On  the  roof  may  be  seen  the  three  lions 
of  England,  a  cross  between  four  martlets,  three  crowns 
each  pierced  by  an  arrow,  and  another  design.  The  smaller 
designs  include  four-leaved  flowers,  Tudor  roses,  fleur-de- 
lys,  the  portcullis,  some  undescribable  creatures,  crossed 
keys,  crossed  swords,  crossed  crosiers,  crosses,  crowns, 
crowns  pierced  with  arrows,  crowned  female  head,  an 
eagle,  the  head  of  the  Baptist  in  a  charger,  an  angel, 
mitres,  three  feathers  rising  from  a  crown,  St.  Andrew's 
cross,  and  perhaps  others.  There  are  also  some  rebuses 
and  some  lettering.  On  the  north  wall,  in  six  several 
scrolls,  the  letters  AR  before  a  church  and  a  bird  on 
a  tun  occur  more  than  once.  This  certainly  refers  to 
Abbot  Robert  Kirton;  but  what  the  bird  means  is  not 
clear.  In  the  moulding  over  the  large  arch  to  the  south 
choir  are  four  sets  of  letters.  They  form  the  last  verse  of 
the  psalter.  The  words  are  contracted :  they  stand  for 
Omnis  spiritus  laudet  Dominum" — (W.  D.  S.) 

The  relic  of  greatest  interest  in  the  New  Building 
is  the  famous  Monks'  Stone,  which,  according  to 
tradition,  was  constructed  in  commemoration  of 
the  massacre  of  Abbot  Hedda  and  his  monks  by 
the  Danes  in  870.  Critics  are  divided  in  opinion. 
Some  think  it  Norman,  but  many  accept  the  theory 
that  it  is  Saxon  work.  In  1887  remains  were  found 
of  the  original  Saxon  church,  which  was  sacked  by 
the  Danes,  rebuilt  and  visited  by  King  Edgar  and 
Dunstan.  Traces  of  the  fire  that  destroyed  it  were 
also  found.  The  east  wall  stood  at  the  piers  of 
the  present  south  transept. 

Queen  Katherine  of  Aragon  was  buried  in  the 
north-choir-aisle  outside  the  most  eastern  arch 
(1535).  This  was  violated  by  the  Puritans.  Dean 


PETERBOROUGH  331 

Patrick  says :  "  First  they  demolish  Queen  Kath- 
erine's  tomb;  they  break  down  the  rails  that  en- 
closed the  place  and  take  away  the  black  velvet  pall 
which  covered  the  hearse ;  overthrow  the  hearse 
itself,  displace  the  gravestone  that  lay  over  her 
body,  and  have  left  nothing  now  remaining  of  that 
tomb,  but  only  a  monument  of  their  own  shame  and 
villainy."  A  few  slabs  were  recently  found  beneath 
the  floor;  and  a  marble  stone  bearing  coats-of-arms 
and  inscription  has  lately  been  placed  over  this 
spot. 

In  the  south-choir-aisle  a  tablet  tells  us  that  here 
Mary  Stuart  was  buried  in  1587,  just  within  the 
choir.  The  body  was  removed  to  Westminster 
Abbey  in  1612.  Remains  of  the  hearse  between  the 
pillars  were  seen  as  late  as  1800.  These  royal  arms 
and  escutcheons  were  also  defaced  and  torn  by  the 
Puritans. 

The  Transepts  are  Norman,  and  characteristic 
Norman  mouldings  are  universal.  A  Perpendicular 
screen  in  each  separates  the  transept  from  a  sort  of 
eastern  aisle,  divided  by  pillars  into  chapels.  In  the 
North  Transept  the  two  chapels  of  St.  John  and 
St.  James  have  been  thrown  into  one — now  the 
Morning  Chapel.  Some  old  Saxon  coffin  lids  are 
preserved  here. 

The  chapels  of  St.  Oswald,  St.  Benedict,  and  St. 
Kyneburga  and  St.  Kyneswitha  still  remain  in  the 
South  Transept.  West  of  the  South  Transept  we 
come  to  the  old  Chapter-House  (very  small),  now 
a  music  room.  It  is  late  Norman,  but  it  has  a 
Perpendicular  doorway. 

At  the  north-east  corner  of  the  close  we  come  to 
the  Deanery  Gateway,  leading  to  the  Deanery.  It 
is  a  fine  specimen  of  Late  Perpendicular,  and  was 


332  PETERBOROUGH 

erected  by  Abbot  Kirton  (Kirkton),  whose  rebus 
(a  church  on  a  tun)  appears  over  the  side-door. 
It  has  a  Tudor  arch,  with  the  arms  of  the  See  in 
spandrels,  and  is  also  ornamented  with  the  Tudor 
rose  and  portcullis  and  the  Prince  of  Wales's 
feathers.  We  gain  here  a  very  good  view  of  the 
north  side  of  the  Cathedral. 

The  north  side  is  very  fine.  The  arcading  on  the 
side  of  the  tower  is  identical  with  that  on  the  west 
front.  Next  we  must  notice  the  big  windows  of  the 
western  transept,  early  and  fine  specimens  of  cusped 
and  traceried  windows.  The  jambs  are  very 
peculiar  because  one  side  is  Norman  with  square 
capitals,  and  the  other  side  Early  English.  The 
arch  "of  the  window  reaches  as  high  as  those  of  the 
triforium.  Above  is  a  round-headed  window,  and 
the  gable,  surmounted  by  a  cross  and  bordered 
with  the  wavy  ornament,  contains  a  rose-window. 
Pinnacles,  resembling  those  on  the  west  front,  adorn 
the  sides  of  this  west  transept.  The  nave  rises  in 
five  stages:  a  tier  of  small  lights  separates  the  tri- 
forium from  the  aisle. 

The  Dean's  Door  on  this  side  of  the  nave  is 
Norman.  The  three  shafts  on  either  side,  with 
their  cushion  capitals,  carry  round  arches  with 
characteristic  and  different  mouldings.  There  are 
ten  windows,  very  broad,  of  five  lights  each,  under 
depressed  arches.  They  were  inserted  in  the  Thir- 
teenth Century.  The  parapet  at  the  top  is  Early 
English. 

The  north  transept  has  seven  stages  of  windows 
(Perpendicular),  and  blind  arcades  and  a  battle- 
mented  gable,  flanked  by  octagonal  turrets. 

Here  we  gain  a  view  of  the  lantern  tower,  re- 
built in  1884.  Then  we  come  to  the  choir,  and 


PETERBOROUGH  333 

lastly  to  the  New  Building.     The  Decorated  win- 
dows of  the  apse  are  particularly  fine. 

"  The  east  end  of  Peterborough  is  rather  peculiar. 
There  remains  the  old  Norman  apse  with  Decorated  win- 
dows inserted,  and  this  is  surrounded  by  what  is  called 
the  New  Building,  though  it  is  400  years  old,  formed  by 
extending  the  walls  of  the  choir  and  building  a  square 
end  to  the  Cathedral.  This  was  erected  by  Abbot  Kirton. 
His  work  possesses  the  best  features  of  Perpendicular 
style.  It  is  richly  ornamented  and  when  we  examine  his 
work  we  cannot  say  that  the  glories  of  Gothic  achievement 
had  quite  departed.  We  see  the  twelve  buttresses,  each 
terminated  with  a  seated  figure,  usually  said  to  be  one  of 
the  Apostles."— (P.  H.  D.) 

Turning  round  the  east  end  we  come  to  the 
ruins  of  the  Infirmary,  erected  about  1260.  Some 
fine  arcading  is  still  to  be  seen.  Afterwards  we 
come  to  the  Slype,  once  vaulted,  but  now  open  to 
the  sky,  which  formerly  connected  the  Refectory 
with  the  Chapter-House,  on  the  east  side  of  the 
Cloister.  Only  the  south  and  west  walls  of  the 
Cloister  Court  remain.  This  is  always  called 
Laurel  Court,  though  the  origin  is  unknown. 

The  south  side  of  the  Cathedral  is  more  beautiful 
than  the  north,  from  which  it  differs  by  having  two 
doorways  into  the  nave  from  the  cloisters,  and  a 
very  fine  south-west  spire,  early  Fourteenth  Cen- 
tury work.  A  beautiful  view  of  this  spire  and  the 
bell-tower  is  obtained  from  Laurel  Court. 


ELY 

DEDICATION:  ST.  ETHELREDA.  CHURCH  OF  A  BENEDICTINE 
MONASTERY. 

SPECIAL  FEATURES  :  THE  OCTAGON  ;  GALILEE  PORCH  ;  LADY- 
CHAPEL;  BISHOP  ALCOCK'S  CHAPEL;  BISHOP  WEST'S 
CHAPEL;  MONK'S  DOOR. 

ELY  is  perhaps  the  most  singular  and  beautiful  of 
English  cathedrals,  when  seen  from  a  distance ;  for 
the  massive  building,  with  its  turrets,  buttresses, 
and  pinnacles,  rises  with  splendid  majesty  from  the 
green  meads  that  make  a  perfect  foreground. 

"  The  first  glimpse  of  Ely  overwhelms  us,  not  only  by  its 
stateliness  and  variety  of  its  outline,  but  by  its  utter 
strangeness,  its  unlikeness  to  anything  else.  Ely,  with 
its  vast  single  western  tower,  with  its  central  octagon  un- 
like anything  else  in  the  whole  world,  has  an  outline  alto- 
gether peculiar  to  itself." — (E.  A.  F.) 

About  655  Etheldreda,  daughter  of  the  King  of 
East  Anglia,  went  to  live  in  the  fen-land  district, 
known  as  the  Isle  of  Ely,  that  had  come  into  her 
possession  according  to  the  terms  of  her  marriage 
settlement  with  Tonbert,  one  of  the  noblemen  of 
her  father's  court.  The  civil  government  of  her 
territory  she  gave  to  a  steward  named  Ovin,  while 
she  devoted  herself  to  good  works.  She  was  in- 
duced to  marry  Egfrid,  son  of  Oswy,  King  of  Nor- 
thumberland, who  became  king  in  670.  Etheldreda, 
wearied  of  court  life,  became  a  nun;  and  when 
Egfrid  determined  to  force  her  to  return  to  court 
she  fled  from  Coldingham  to  the  Isle  of  Ely,  where 
she  established  a  religious  house.  She  began  to 
334 


ELY  335 

build  in  673.  The  monastery  over  which  Ethel- 
dreda  presided  as  abbess  was  a  mixed  community. 
Bede  calls  it  a  nunnery.  Etheldreda  died  in  679  and 
was  buried,  according  to  her  own  request,  in  the 
nuns'  graveyard.  Her  body  was,  however,  removed 
into  the  church  on  October  17,  695.  When  the 
body  was  placed  in  a  marble  sarcophagus  it  was 
found  in  perfect  preservation,  and  miracles  took 
place.  Two  hundred  years  later  the  Danes  ravaged 
Ely  and  destroyed  the  monastery  (870),  which  was 
rebuilt  in  970  by  .King  Edgar  and  Bishop  Ethel- 
wold,  of  Winchester.  The  prior  of  Winchester, 
Brithnoth  (970-981),  was  appointed  its  first  abbot. 
There  were  no  nuns  in  the  new  monastery. 

The  monks  of  Ely  educated  Edward  the  Con- 
fessor, who  had  been  offered  on  this  altar  in  infancy 
by  his  parents.  After  he  became  king  he  continued 
his  "  favourable  regard  to  the  place."  His  brother, 
Alfred,  whose  eyes  were  put  out  by  Earl  Godwin, 
died  and  was  buried  in  Ely.  Ely  was  the  last  strong- 
hold of  Hereward;  and  it  took  the  monks  a  long 
time  to  make  their  peace  with  the  Conqueror.  In 
order  to  raise  enough  money  to  purchase  forgive- 
ness they  were  forced  to  sell  almost  every  article 
of  gold  and  silver  that  they  owned.  Thurston,  the 
last  Saxon  abbot  (1066-1072),  remained  in  charge 
of  the  monastery  until  his  death.  When  Simeon, 
prior  of  Winchester,  and  brother  of  Walkelyn, 
Bishop  of  Winchester,  was  made  abbot  in  1081, 
it  was  deemed  necessary  to  build  a  more  sumptuous 
church.  Simeon  contributed  a  great  part  of  his 
large  fortune.  He  began  with  the  transepts;  and 
built  the  central  tower,  often  called  "  Simeon's 
Tower/' 

Richard  (1100-1107),  a  Norman,  and  relative  of 


336  ELY 

the  king,  finished  the  east  end  in  1106.  Two  bays 
of  the  nave  next  to  the  tower  were  also  his  work, 
and  he  continued  Simeon's  Tower.  During  Rich- 
ard's rule  the  remains  of  St.  Etheldreda,  St.  Sex- 
burga,  St.  Ermenilda,  and  St.  Withburga,  the  first 
four  abbesses,  were  re-buried  before  the  high  altar. 

In  1109  Ely  was  made  a  cathedral;  but  nothing 
seems  to  have  been  done  to  the  building  until  Bishop 
Riddell  (1174-1189)  "  carried  on  the  new  work  and 
Tower  at  the  west  end  of  the  church,  almost  to  the 
top." 

Eustache  (1198-1215),  one  of  the  bishops  ap- 
pointed to  excommunicate  King  John,  built  the 
celebrated  Galilee  Porch  at  the  west  end.  He  con- 
tributed large  sums  out  of  his  private  fortune. 

Hugh  Norwold,  or  Northwold  (1229-1254), 
built  the  six  eastern  bays  of  the  presbytery,  and 
the  palace.  Again  were  the  remains  of  St.  Ethel- 
dreda, St.  Sexburga,  St.  Ermenilda,  and  St.  With- 
burga removed  to  this  part  of  the  church,  and  the 
Cathedral  was  dedicated  in  1252.  King  Henry  III. 
and  Prince  Edward  were  present.  When  Bishop 
Norwold  died  (1254),  he  was  buried  at  the  feet  of 
St.  Etheldreda.  His  monument  was  removed  to  the 
north  side  of  the  presbytery,  third  arch  from  the 
east. 

John  Hotham  (1316-1337)  built  the  choir.  It 
was  during  his  bishopric  that  the  Tower  fell,  and 
he  provided  for  the  building  of  the  wrecked  west- 
ern bays. 

The  Fourteenth  Century  brings  us  to  the  greatest 
of  all  the  Ely  builders,  the  supreme  artist  and  arch- 
itect, Alan  de  Walsingham,  sub-prior,  sacrist,  and 
finally  prior.  In  1321  he  began  the  Lady-Chapel, 
which  was  finished  in  1349.  Its  position  is  peculiar 


ELY:    WEST  TOWERS 


ELY:   CHOIR,  EAST 


ELY  337 

— north-east  of  the  north  transept.  Its  site  was 
chosen  in  all  probability  because  St.  Etheldreda's 
shrine  occupied  the  sacred  east  end.  Walsing- 
ham's  great  work,  however,  is  the  celebrated  Oc- 
tagon. 

On  the  eve  of  St.  Ermenilda's  Day,  February  12, 
1322,  just  after  the  monks  had  finished  matins,  the 
central  tower  fell  and  destroyed  three  bays  of  the 
choir.  There  was  no  wicked  king  in  this  case  to 
blame  for  the  calamity,  as  was  the  case  with  the 
similar  tower  built  by  Simeon's  brother  at  Win- 
chester (see  pages  55-56). 

"  No  one  could  possibly  have  been  found  in  the  whole 
kingdom  better  qualified  to  cope  with  the  great  disaster  that 
took  place  at  Ely  in  1322  than  the  officer  of  the  house  who 
had  the  special  custody  of  the  fabric.  The  originality  and 
skill  with  which  he  designed  and  carried  out  the  noble  work 
that  takes  the  place  of  the  central  tower,  which  is  without 
a  rival  in  the  architecture  of  the  whole  world,  are  beyond 
all  praise.  The  exquisite  work  in  the  Lady-Chapel  would 
in  itself  have  been  sufficient  to  establish  Walsingham's 
reputation  as  an  architect  of  the  very  highest  order  of 
merit;  but  it  would  have  revealed  nothing,  if  it  stood 
alone,  of  the  consummate  constructive  genius  which  he 
displayed  in  the  conception  of  the  octagon. 

"The  building  was  begun  as  soon  as  the  space  was 
cleared.  The  stonework  was  finished  in  1328,  little  more 
than  six  years  after  the  tower  fell.  The  woodwork  of  the 
vaulting  and  lantern  took  longer  time;  but  this  also  was 
quite  complete  in  1342.  Walsingham  had  become  prior  in 
the  previous  year.  The  weight  of  the  lantern,  it  need 
hardly  be  said,  is  not  borne,  though  it  looks  like  it  from 
below,  by  the  vaulting  that  we  see.  There  is  a  perfect 
forest  of  oak  hidden  from  sight,  the  eight  great  angle 
posts  being  no  less  than  3  feet  4  inches  by  2  feet  8  inches 
in  section. 

"  With  such  a  man  as  Walsingham  on  the  spot  we  cannot 
be  wrong  in  assigning  to  him  the  authorship  of  all  the 
architectural  designs  that  were  carried  out  in  his  lifetime. 


338  ELY 

It  is  believed — for  the  date  is  not  exactly  known — that  he 
died  in  1364.  Besides  the  Lady-Chapel  and  Octagon,  he 
must  have  designed  the  singularly  beautiful  bays  of  the 
presbytery  between  the  Octagon  and  Northwold's  work. 
The  exquisite  way  in  which  the  main  characteristics  of  the 
Early  English  work  are  adapted  to  the  Decorated  style  de- 
mands our  highest  admiration.  The  arrangement  of  the 
three  western  bays  on  each  side  is  exactly  like  Northwold's 
work,  while  the  additional  grace  and  beauty  of  ornamenta- 
tion mark  the  advance  in  taste  that  distinguished  the  Deco- 
rated period.  Bishop  Hotham  undertook  the  whole  ex- 
pense of  rebuilding  this  portion  of  the  cathedral.  He  did 
not  live  to  see  it  completed,  as  rre  died  in  1337,  but  he  left 
money  for  the  purpose." — (W.  D.  S.) 


Walsingham,  though  elected  bishop  by  the  monks, 
was  not  confirmed  by  the  Pope.  However,  when 
they  placed  the  brass  over  his  resting-place  in  front 
of  the  choir  they  represented  "  The  Flower  of 
Craftsmen"  (Flos  operatorum  was  his  epitaph), 
with  mitre  and  crozier. 

Ely  suffered  less  than  many  churches  during  the 
Puritan  wars. 

The  most  important  work  of  late  years  has  been 
the  restoration  of  the  octagon  and  lantern,  as 
originally  designed  by  Alan  de  Walsingham. 

The  great  West  Tower  (Early  English  and 
Decorated)  was  built  before  the  Galilee  Porch, 
about  the  last  year  of  the  Twelfth  Century.  It  is 
surmounted  by  an  octagon  with  a  window  of  three 
lights  in  each  face.  An  octagonal  turret  ornaments 
each  corner.  Windows  and  arcades  mark  each 
story.  A  fine  view  of  it  is  obtained  from  the  south 
side. 

The  Galilee  Porch  is  one  of  the  finest  examples 
of  Early  English  in  existence  and  is  only  surpassed 
by  Bishop  Hugh's  Choir  at  Lincoln. 


ELY  339 

"  Each  side  externally,  is  covered  with  lancet  arcading 
in  four  tiers.  In  the  upper  tier  the  lancets  are  trefoiled 
with  dog-tooth  in  the  moulding;  in  the  next  lower  tier 
the  lancets  are  cinquefoiled,  with  two  sets  of  dog-tooth. 
The  lancets  in  the  west  face  are  all  cinquefoiled,  and  the 
three  lower  tiers  have  trefoils  in  the  spandrels.  Nearly 
all  are  highly  enriched  with  dog-tooth;  while  the  mould- 
ings of  the  west  door  have  conventional  foliage  as  well. 
The  lancets  here  are  deeper  than  on  the  sides  of  the 
porch,  and  were  probably  designed  to  hold  figures.  Of 
the  three  large  lancets  in  the  west  window  the  central 
one  is  slightly  more  lofty  than  the  others. 

"  The  interior  of  the  porch  is  even  more  beautiful ;  the 
profusion  of  ornamentation  on  the  inner  doorway  and 
the  exceeding  gracefulness  of  the  double  arcades  in  the 
sides  are  quite  unsurpassed.  Both  doorways  are  divided 
by  a  shaft  and  both  have  open  tracery  of  exceptional  beauty 
above."— (W.  D.  S.) 

In  addition  to  this  feature,  Ely  has  the  unique 
Octagon,  a  good  view  of  which  is  obtained  from 
the  north-west.  It  is  beautifully  proportioned  and 
beautifully  decorated  with  windows  of  exquisite 
tracery. 

"  The  way  in  which  the  octagon  and  lantern  combine  in 
producing  a  perfectly  harmonious  composition  is  in  great 
part  due  to  two  points  of  difference,  points  which  very 
few  observers  detect.  These  are,  firstly,  that  the  lantern  is 
a  regular  octagon,  having  all  its  sides  equal,  in  this  respect 
being  unlike  the  stone  octagon  beneath  it;  and,  secondly, 
that  the  eight  faces  of  the  lantern  are  not  parallel  to  the 
eight  faces  of  the  octagon.  The  new  windows  of  the 
lantern  are  similar  to  the  large  ones  below,  but  are  not 
mere  copies  of  them.  The  upper  stage  of  the  lantern, 
above  the  roof  as  seen  from  within,  was  once  a  bell- 
chamber;  its  lights  are  not,  and  never  have  been,  glazed. 
The  whole  of  the  lantern  is  of  wood,  covered  with  lead. 
Two  flying-buttresses  rise  from  the  corners  of  the  nave 
and  transept  aisles  to  the  corbel  table  of  the  clerestory 
range.  There  are  also  eight  elegant  flying-buttresses,  one 


340  ELY 

to  each  of  the  angles  of  the  lantern.  These  are  part  of 
the  new  work,  the  originals  having  long  disappeared." — 
(W.  D.  S.) 

The  north-western  part  of  the  north  transept 
fell  in  1699,  and  was  rebuilt  by  Sir  Christopher 
Wren,  nephew  of  Bishop  Wren,  then  in  office. 
The  north  end  of  the  transept  contains  Norman 
windows,  and  above  them  are  two  Perpendicular 
windows,  each  of  three  lights.  In  the  east  wall  of 
the  transept  the  lower  lights  are  Decorated;  the 
upper  windows  are  the  original  Norman. 

Next  we  come  to  the  Lady-Chapel,  the  east  win- 
dow of  which  (seven  lights)  was  inserted  by  Bishop 
Barnet  (1366-1373),  who  also  "beautified  five  of 
the  windows  in  the  presbytery. "  The  west  window 
(eight  lights)  is  of  a  little  later  date.  In  the  side 
walls  of  the  Lady-Chapel  are  five  large  windows, 
the  tracery  of  which  is  very  beautiful. 

The  East  End  is  a  superb  illustration  of  Early 
English,  although  slightly  altered  from  its  original 
state  by  the  introduction  of  the  windows  in  the 
chapels  of  Alcock  and  West,  and  a  plain  wall  for 
the  original  windows  in  the  south  aisle. 

Flying-buttresses  support  the  roof  of  the  pres- 
bytery and  choir.  The  Perpendicular  window  of 
seven  lights  attracts  our  notice  in  the  south  end  of 
the  south  transept. 

The  entrance  to  the  Cathedral  from  the  south 
opens  from  the  eastern  end  of  the  cloisters  and  is 
called  the  Monks'  Door. 

The  ornamentation  is  very  rich.  One  spiral  col- 
umn is  especially  fine.  The  arch  is  trefoiled  with 
cusps,  having  circular  terminations  with  star  orna- 
ment, and  in  the  spandrels  are  quaint,  crouching 


ELY  341 

monks,  each  holding  a  pastoral  staff.  Two  twisted 
dragons  writhe  above. 

At  the  west  end  of  the  north  alley  of  the  cloisters 
we  come  to  the  Prior's  Door,  a  fine  specimen  of 
late  Norman.  In  the  tympanum  is  a  carving  in 
high  relief  of  the  Saviour. 

Entering  through  the  West  we  have  a  full  view 
of  the  Cathedral,  the  vista  fortunately  not  broken, 
for  the  open  screen  permits  the  gaze  to  wander  the 
whole  length  to  the  east  end.  The  massive  Per- 
pendicular arches  here  were  built  beneath  the  Nor- 
man ones  to  secure  stability  for  the  big  tower  that 
we  have  just  examined. 

The  Nave  is  one  of  the  most  perfect  specimens 
of  late  Norman.  It  is  very  similar  to  that  of  Peter- 
borough. Ely,  however,  offers  no  suggestion  of  the 
transition  of  the  next  style,  as  does  Peterborough. 
The  Ely  nave  is  supposed  to  have  been  finished 
before  1173,  a  little  before  Peterborough's,  and  after 
that  of  Norwich.  It  contains  twelve  bays  and 
measures  208  feet.  The  piers  are  of  alternate  de- 
sign. In  front  of  each  a  shaft  runs  up  to  the  roof. 
As  we  follow  this  with  our  eyes  we  see  that  the 
ceiling  is  painted  with  Biblical  subjects;  but  these 
pictures  need  not  detain  us,  as  they  are  modern. 
The  billet  moulding  decorates  the  string-course 
above  the  main  arcade.  Most  of  the  capitals  are 
cushion. 

The  Octagon  is  the  gem  of  the  whole  Cathedral. 

"  Few  visitors  will  perhaps  be  disposed  to  examine  any  of 
the  objects  of  interest  in  the  cathedral  before  an  inspec- 
tion of  the  beauties  of  this  magnificent  erection,  the  first 
sight  of  which,  from  one  of  the  smaller  arches  towards  the 
aisles,  is  a  thing  never  to  be  forgotten.  There  is  not 
one  of  the  many  able  artists  and  architects  who  have  written 


342  ELY 

about  the  Octagon  that  has  not  spoken  of  it  as  being  with- 
out rival  in  the  whole  world ;  and  the  admiration  that  was 
expressed  fifty  and  more  years  ago  would  have  been  far 
greater,  and  the  enthusiasm  more  profound,  had  the  writ- 
ers seen  it  in  its  present  state  of  perfect  restoration.  No 
description  can  do  adequate  justice  to  the  grandeur  of 
the  conception  or  to  the  brilliancy  of  the  execution  of 
this  renowned  work. 

"The  four  great  arches  rise  to  the  full  height  of  the  roof; 
that  to  the  east,  indeed,  is  higher  than  the  vaulted  roof  of 
the  choir  and  presbytery,  the  intervening  space  being  occu- 
pied with  tracery  of  woodwork  on  painted  boards,  the 
Saviour  on  the  Cross  being  painted  in  the  middle.  The 
wooden  vaulting  of  the  Octagon  springs  from  the  capi- 
tals on  the  same  level  as  those  of  the  great  arches.  The 
four  small  arches  to  the  aisles  are  of  course  no  higher  than 
the  roofs  of  the  aisles :  above  these,  on  each  side,  are 
three  figures  of  apostles,  under  canopies  with  crockets. 
The  figures  are  seated,  and  each  holds  an  emblem,  by  which 
it  can  be  seen  for  whom  the  figure  is  intended.  It  may  be 
noticed  (in  the  central  figure  on  the  south-west  side) 
that  St.  Paul,  not  St.  Matthias,  is  put  in  the  place  of 
Iscariot.  The  hood-moulds  of  the  arches  are  terminated 
by  heads,  of  which  six  are  portraits.  King  Edward  III.  and 
Queen  Philippa  are  at  the  north-east,  Bishop  Hotham  and 
Prior  Crauden  at  the  south-east,  Walsingham  and  his 
master-mason  (so  it  is  believed)  at  the  north-west;  those 
to  the  south-west  are  mere  grotesques.  Above  the  seated 
figures  on  each  side  is  a  window  of  four  broad  lights, 
filled  with  stained  glass.  The  eight  chief  vaulting  shafts 
rise  from  the  ground  as  slight  triple  shafts;  they  support, 
a  little  above  the  spring  of  the  side  arches,  large  corbels, 
which  form  bases  for  exquisitely  designed  niches,  and 
through  these  spring  more  shafts  reaching  to  the  vault.  On 
each  of  the  corbels  is  a  boldly  carved  scene  from  the 
career  of  St.  Etheldreda;  they  commence  at  the  north- 
west arch.  The  subjects  (two  to  each  arch)  are  as  fol- 
lows : 

"  North-west    arch :    St.    Etheldreda's    second    marriage. 
Her  taking  the  veil  at  Coldingham. 

"  North-east  arch :  Her  staff  taking  root.    Her  preserva- 
tion in  the  flood  at  St.  Abb's  Head. 


ELY  343 

"  South-east  arch :  Her  installation  as  Abbess  of  Ely. 
Her  death  and  burial  (two  scenes). 

"  South-west  arch :  One  of  her  miracles.  Her  transla- 
tion. 

"  In  order  to  understand  these  wonderful  sculptures 
more  fully  we  refer  to  the  Liber  Eliensis  which  describes 
Etheldreda  as  hurrying  away  from  Coldingham  with  two 
laides,  Sewenna  and  Sewara,  and  as  reaching  a  rocky  place 
on  the  coast  where  they  were  overtaken  by  the  king,  but 
the  three  ladies  crossed  the  Humber  and  proceeded  south, 
dressed  as  pilgrims.  One  night,  while  the  queen  slept,  her 
staff,  placed  in  the  ground,  burst  into  leaf  and  flower. 
On  this  spot  a  church  was  built  and  dedicated  to  St. 
Etheldreda.  When  the  three  pilgrims  arrived  in  the  Isle 
of  Ely,  they  were  joined  by  Wilfrid,  the  archbishop  of 
York,  who  induced  Etheldreda  to  take  the  veil.  The 
miracle  referred  to  in  the  south-west  arch  shows  St. 
Etheldreda  and  St.  Benedict  appearing  to  a  monk  named 
Brytstan,  who  was  charged  with  seeking  refuge  in  a 
monastery  in  order  to  escape  punishment  for  robberies  of 
which  he  had  been  guilty.  The  miracle  was  told  to  Queen 
Matilda,  who  freed  Brytstan."— (W.  D.  S.) 

The  Screen  separating  the  choir  from  the  Oc- 
tagon was  designed  by  Scott.  It  is  of  oak,  delicately 
carved  in  geometric  patterns,  and  bearing  a  cross 
on  the  cresting  that  runs  along  the  top.  The  gates 
are  brass. 

The  first  three  bays  of  the  choir  were  begun  about 
1240;  the  last  six,  forming  the  presbytery,  were 
finished  in  1340.  The  space  of  a  hundred  years 
thus  lies  between  them. 

"  In  the  juxtaposition  of  these  two  magnificent  speci- 
mens of  the  Early  English  and  Decorated  periods  of 
architecture  there  is  an  opportunity  of  comparison  which 
on  such  a  scale  occurs  nowhere  else.  It  is  to  be  remem- 
bered that  in  neither  case  is  the  treatment  of  the  upper 
part  quite  in  accordance  with  the  usual  practice  of  the 
period.  When  the  presbytery  was  being  built  there  were 
still  standing  east  of  the  central  tower  the  four  original 


344  ELY 

bays  of  the  Norman  choir.  These,  it  may  be  assumed, 
were  very  similar  in  character  to  those  in  the  nave.  There 
would,  beyond  question,  have  been  in  each  bay  large 
triforium  arches,  each  with  a  couple  of  subordinate  arches ; 
and  a  single  window  in  the  clerestory  with  a  blank  arch 
on  each  side.  Bishop  Northwold's  work  was  purposely 
made  to  correspond  with  these  bays  as  far  as  Early  English 
work  could  do  so;  and  when  after  the  fall  of  the  tower 
it  became  necessary  to  rebuild  the  choir,  Bishop  Hotham 
in  like  manner  made  his  Decorated  work  correspond  with 
the  Early  English  presbytery.  The  choir  is,  as  would  be 
expected,  richer  in  detail  as  well  as  more  elaborate  in 
design ;  and  it  would  be  difficult  to  find  in  England  anything 
to  surpass  the  tracery  of  the  clerestory  windows  and 
triforium  arches,  the  beautiful  cusped  inner  arches  of  the 
clerestory  range,  the  open  parapets  at  the  base  of  the  two 
stages,  or  the  long  corbels,  covered  with  foliage,  that  sup- 
port the  vaulting  shafts.  In  the  choir  the  clerestory  win- 
dows have  four  lights  each ;  in  the  presbytery  are  triplets. 
The  old  colouring  has  been  renewed  throughout.  On  the 
north  side  of  the  choir,  the  three  bays  are  precisely  alike; 
but  on  the  south  there  is  a  variation  in  the  tracery  of  the 
western  triforium  arch.  There  are  also  shields  of  arms  (of 
the  See  of  Ely  and  of  Bishop  Hotham)  in  the  spandrels 
of  the  triforium  and  arch  below;  and  the  shaft  between 
this  arch  and  the  next  is  enlarged  at  the  top  into  a  base 
for  a  statue  (probably  of  St.  Etheldreda)  ;  while  level  with 
the  string  above  is  a  very  fine  large  canopy  (called  by  the 
workmen  'the  table'),  which  is  like  nothing  else  in  the 
cathedral.  The  clerestory  windows  also  on  the  south  have 
different  tracery. 

"  The  difference  between  the  two  styles  of  architecture  is 
well  marked  in  the  groining  of  the  roof,  the  Decorated 
portion  being  much  more  elaborate.  Some  of  the  bosses 
are  very  remarkable :  one  has  St.  Etheldreda  with  pastoral 
staff;  one  has  the  coronation  of  the  Virgin  Mary;  one  has 
the  foundress  bearing  the  model  of  a  church,  in  which  (as 
Dean  Stubbs  has  pointed  out)  both  arms  of  the  western 
transept  are  represented,  so  that  it  is  a  fair  inference  that 
at  the  time  this  roof  was  constructed  the  whole  of  the 
western  transept  was  standing. 

"  Between  the  choir  and  presbytery  there  rise  the  mas- 


ELY  345 

sive  Norman  piers  built  as  the  entrance  to  the  apse;  and 
these  are  the  only  remains  of  the  Norman  church  east  of 
the  octagon."— (W.  D.  S.) 

The  magnificent  Choir-Stalls,  with  their  beautiful 
canopies,  are  thought  to  be  Walsingham's  work. 
They  are  considered  the  finest  Decorated  stalls  in 
existence.  The  misereres  show  wonderful  carvings. 

The  Reredos,  of  alabaster,  designed  by  Scott, 
stands  in  the  centre  of  the  screen  of  stone  that  runs 
along  the  whole  of  the  presbytery,  the  lower  part  of 
which  is  a  diaper  pattern  and  the  upper  portion  an 
open  arcade  of  six  arches  (Early  Decorated  style). 

"  The  east  end  of  Ely  is  the  grandest  example  of  the 
grouping  of  lancets.  .  .  .  Ely  is  also  undoubtedly  the 
head  of  all  east  ends  and  eastern  limbs  of  that  class  in 
which  the  main  body  of  the  church  is  of  the  same  height 
throughout,  and  in  which  the  aisles  are  brought  out  to  the 
full  length  of  the  building."— (E.  A.  F.) 

At  the  end  of  the  north-choir-aisle  we  come  to 
the  Chapel  of  Bishop  Alcock  (died  1500),  Bishop 
of  Ely  from  1486  to  1500.  He  was  a  great  archi- 
tect, built  the  great  hall  in  the  Bishop's  palace  at 
Ely  and  also  this  very  ornate  chapel.  It  dates  from 
1488.  The  roof  is  composed  of  fan-tracery,  with 
a  large  pendant;  and  the  yvalls  are  covered  with 
canopies,  tabernacles,  crockets,  niches,  panels  and 
other  decorations  with  lavish  display.  The  figures 
have  gone  from  the  niches.  A  cock  on  a  globe — 
Alcock's  rebus — occurs  on  the  stone-work  very  fre- 
quently. 

At  the  end  of  the  south-choir-aisle  we  find  the 
corresponding  Chapel  of  Bishop  West  (died  1533). 
This  is  similar  in  style  to  the  Alcock  chapel,  but 
less  ornate. 


346  ELY 

Several  bishops  are  buried  in  this  chapel.  Though 
we  may  care  little  or  nothing  for  the  careers  of  the 
dignitaries  who  lie  there,  or  who  are  perpetuated  by 
monuments,  we  find  among  the  tombs  some  fine  ex- 
amples of  sculpture  and  ornament  of  the  past. 

For  instance,  that  of  Bishop  Louth  (died  1298), 
under  the  first  arch  of  the  presbytery  in  the  south- 
choir-aisle,  is  a  fine  example  of  Early  Decorated. 

In  the  last  arch,  before  reaching  Bishop  West's 
Chapel,  the  tomb  of  Bishop  Hotham  (died  1337) 
calls  for  attention. 

Under  the  four  arches  of  the  presbytery  on  the 
north,  between  the  stalls  and  the  altar,  is  that  of 
Bishop  Redman  (died  1505),  a  very  fine  specimen 
of  enriched  Perpendicular  work. 

Next  is  the  effigy  of  Bishop  Kilkenny  (died 
1256),  a  fine  example  of  Early  English. 

In  the  next  arch  a  large  Decorated  structure  of 
two  stories,  believed  by  Scott  to  have  been  built  by 
Walsingham  as  the  base  for  the  Shrine  of  St.  Ethel- 
dreda,  was  formerly  known  as  Bishop  Hotham's 
shrine. 

In  the  arch  north  of  the  altar  is  the  tomb  of  the 
builder  of  the  presbytery,  Bishop  Northwold  (died 
1254),  who  is  represented  in  full  vestments. 

It  is  only  natural  that  the  transepts  should  show 
similarity  with  those  of  Winchester,  consecrated  in 
1093,  seven  years  before  Simeon  of  Winchester 
came  to  Ely.  He  began  his  work,  as  we  have  seen, 
here,  and  got  up  as  far  as  the  triforium.  The  clere- 
story was  added  by  his  successor.  Alterations  took 
place  at  later  periods,  and  now  both  triforium  and 
clerestory  are  almost  identical  with  those  in  the 
nave. 

In  the  south  transept  Perpendicular  windows  of 


2 

CW 


Q 
fc 


a 

< 
ffi 
U 


a 

w 


ELY  347 

three  lights  have  replaced  the  western  windows  of 
the  triforium.  Two  large  Perpendicular  windows 
ornament  the  north  end  and  a  curious  window  of 
seven  lights  adorns  the  south.  Galleries,  arches, 
and  arcades  afford  exceedingly  interesting  study. 

On  the  east  of  the  north  transept  are  three 
chapels,  one  of  which  has  been  restored  for  private 
devotion.  Old  paintings  of  the  Martyrdom  of  St. 
Edmund  on  the  roof  have  given  it  the  name  of 
St.  Edmund's  Chapel.  The  screen  in  front  dates 
from  about  1350. 

From  the  north  transept  we  enter  the  Lady- 
Chapel. 

"  Notwithstanding  the  cruel  mutilation  of  the  sculpture 
all  round  this  chapel,  it  can  be  seen  that  for  perfection  of 
exquisite  work  there  is  no  building  of  the  size  in  this 
country  worthy  for  one  moment  to  be  compared  with  this 
in  its  unmutilated  state.  Its  single  defect  strikes  the  be- 
holder at  once :  the  span  of  the  roof  is  too  broad  and  the 
vaulting  too  depressed  for  the  size  of  the  chapel.  The 
windows  on  the  north  have  been  restored.  The  end  win- 
dows, which  are  of  great  size,  are  of  later  date;  that  to 
the  east  has  a  look  of  Transition  work  about  it.  The 
building  was  finished  in  1349,  and  the  east  window  was 
inserted  by  Bishop  Barnet,  circa  1373.  The  great  beauty  of 
the  interior  consists  in  the  series  of  tabernacle  work  and 
canopies  that  run  round  all  the  four  sides  below  and 
between  the  windows.  The  heads  of  the  canopies  project. 
In  the  tracery  beneath,  at  the  head  of  the  mullion,  was  a 
statue.  The  delicate  carving  of  the  cusps  and  other  tracery 
is  varied  throughout.  On  the  spandrels  were  incidents 
connected  with  the  history  of  the  Virgin  Mary  (mainly 
legendary)  and  of  Julian  the  Apostate;  and  though  in  no 
single  instance  is  a  perfect  uninjured  specimen  left,  yet 
enough  remains,  in  all  but  a  few  cases,  for  the  original 
subjects  to  be  identified.  All  was  once  enriched  with 
colour,  and  many  traces  remain ;  and  in  various  parts  of 
the  windows  there  are  fragments  of  stained  glass.  Most  of 
the  monumental  tablets  which  once  disfigured  the  arcade 


348  ELY 

below  the  windows  have  been  happily  removed  into  the 
vestibule.  The  arches  and  canopies  at  the  east  end  are 
arranged  differently  from  those  on  the  sides.  In  the 
roof,  which  reminds  us  of  the  contemporary  roof  in  the 
choir,  are  some  carved  bosses,  not  large,  but  singularly 
good.  Among  the  subjects  can  be  recognised  a  Cruci- 
fixion, with  half-figures  beside  the  cross ;  Adam  and  Eve ; 
the  Virgin  Mary  and  .Elizabeth,  holding  between  them  a 
book  inscribed  *  Magnificat ' ;  the  Annunciation,  with  '  Ave 
Maria  Gratia  plena ' ;  the  Ascension,  indicated  by  the 
skirt  and  feet  of  the  Saviour  and  five  heads  of  apostles; 
the  Coronation  of  the  Virgin;  and  the  Virgin  in  an 
aureole."— (W.  D.  S.) 


NORWICH 

DEDICATION  :  THE  HOLY  TRINITY.    CHURCH  OF  A  BENEDIC- 
TINE MONASTERY. 

THIS  Cathedral  was  begun  in  1096  by  Herbert  de 
Losinga,  the  bishop  appointed  by  William  Rufus, 
who  had  received  his  education  in  Normandy,  and 
who  became  prior  of  Fecamp.  No  earlier  church 
stood  on  the  site.  It  was  dedicated  to  the  Holy 
Trinity. 

"  The  characteristics  of  the  cathedral  are — its  long  nave, 
which  is  typical  of  the  Norman  church ;  its  glorious  apsidal 
termination,  encircled  by  a  procession  path,  which  recalls 
the  plan  of  a  French  cathedral ;  and  the  form  of  this,  with 
the  remains  of  its  old  bishops'  chair  centrally  placed,  and 
with  the  westward  position,  of  the  throne  at  Torcello  and 
other  Italian  churches,  of  the  basilican  type  of  plan. 

"  It  is  interesting  to  note  that  Herbert's  early  French 
training  influenced  him  in  the  planning  of  the  beautiful 
eastern  termination  to  his  cathedral,  and  the  grand  sweep 
of  the  procession  path.  Similar  apsidal  terminations,  of 
slightly  later  date,  once  existed  at  Ely,  and  still  remain  in 
a  modified  form  at  Peterborough  and  St.  Bartholomew's. 

"  It  is  probable,  and  the  more  generally  accredited  sup- 
position, that  Herbert  built  the  presbytery  with  its  en- 
circling procession  path  and  the  original  trefoil  of  Norman 
chapel  radiating  therefrom; — the  choir  and  transepts  with 
the  two  chapels  projecting  eastwards  and  the  first  two 
bays  of  the  nave.  Harrod  advances  a  theory  that  he  com- 
pletely finished  the  whole  of  the  cathedral  church,  as  well  as 
the  offices  for  the  housing  of  the  sixty  monks  who  were 
placed  therein,  in  1101." — (C.  H.  B.  Q.) 

Norwich  acquired  its  chief  saint  in  the  Twelfth 
Century,    and   a    saint,    moreover,   that   much   re- 
349 


350  NORWICH 

sembled  Little  Saint  Hugh  of  Lincoln.  A  young 
boy,  William,  the  child  of  simple  country  people, 
was  murdered  by  the  Jews  in  the  city.  Immediately 
after  his  death  miracles  took  place.  The  monks 
placed  his  altar  near  the  ante-choir,  and  raked  in 
the  offerings. 

The  Cathedral  suffered  from  fires,  and  the  tower 
was  struck  by  lightning  in  1271.  There  was  also  a 
terrible  riot  between  the  people  and  the  monks  in 
the  Thirteenth  Century,  when  the  Cathedral  was 
besieged.  The  monastery  and  the  Cathedral  were 
burned,  and  many  monks  were  killed.  Some  citi- 
zens of  Norwich  were  hanged,  drawn  and  quar- 
tered, and  the  city  had  to  repair  the  church.  The 
monks  were  compelled  to  erect  new  gates  and  en- 
trances, one  of  which,  St.  Ethelbert's  Gate,  still 
exists  (see  page  351). 

About  1361  the  spire  and  parts  of  the  tower  were 
blown  down,  and  the  presbytery  was  damaged. 
Therefore,  the  clerestory  was  rebuilt,  and  in  the 
transitional  style  from  Decorated  to  Perpendicular. 
The  Cloisters  date  from  about  this  time,  and  so  does 
the  Erpingham  Gate.  In  the  middle  of  the  Fif- 
teenth Century  the  nave  vault  was  constructed; 
and  it  was  under  the  two  rules  of  Bishop  Lyhart 
and  Bishop  Goldwell  that  the  Cathedral  was  prac- 
tically completed  as  we  see  it  to-day.  Dean 
Gardiner  pulled  down  the  Lady-Chapel  and  the 
Chapter-House  in  the  Sixteenth  Century,  and  in 
the  Seventeenth  Century  Cromwell's  soldiers  took 
possession. 

Bishop  Hall  tells  us  how  they  behaved : 

"Lord,  what  work  was  here,  what  clattering  of  glasses, 
what  beating  down  the  Walls,  what  tearing  up  of  Monu- 


NORWICH  351 

ments,  what  pulling  down  of  Seats,  what  wresting  out  of 
Irons  and  Brass  from  the  Windows  and  Graves !  What 
defacing  of  Armes,  what  demolishing  of  curious  stone 
work,  that  had  not  any  representation  in  the  World,  but 
only  of  the  cost  of  the  Founder  and  skill  of  the  Mason, 
what  toting  and  piping  upon  the  destroyed  Organ  pipes,  and 
what  a  hideous  triumph  on  the  Market  day  before  all  the 
Countrey,  when,  in  a  kind  of  Sacrilegious  and  profane 
procession,  all  the  Organ  pipes,  Vestments,  both  Copes  and 
Surplices,  together  with  the  Leaden  Crosse  which  had  been 
newly  sawne  down  from  over  the  Green-Yard  Pulpit,  and 
the  Service  books  and  singing  books  that  could  be  had,  were 
carried  to  the  fire  in  the  publick  Market  place;  A  leud 
wretch  walking  before  the  Train,  in  his  Cope  trailing  in 
the  dirt,  with  a  Service  book  in  his  hand,  imitating  in  an 
impious  scorne  the  tune,  and  usurping  the  words  of  the 
Letany;  neer  the  Publick  Crosse,  all  these  monuments  of 
Idolatry  must  be  sacrificed  to  the  fire,  not  without  much 
Ostentation  of  a  zealous  joy." 

The  Precincts  are,  like  those  of  all  English  cathe- 
drals, lovely,  and  these  are  fortunate  enough  to  be 
entered  by  several  ancient  gates.  The  one  on  the 
south,  St.  Ethelbert's  Gate  (Early  Decorated), 
was  built  in  the  Thirteenth  Century,  after  the  riots 
and  fire  of  1272.  The  Gate  House  (Perpendicu- 
lar), on  the  north,  is  the  entrance  to  the  Bishop's 
Palace. 

Opposite  the  west  front  we  find  the  Erpingham 
Gate,  built  about  1420,  by  Sir  Thomas  Erpingham, 
whose  figure  stands  in  the  niche  over  the  wide  arch. 
It  is  a  greatly  admired  piece  of  Perpendicular  work. 

The  West  Front  (Perpendicular)  clearly  defines 
the  width  of  the  nave  and  the  aisles  on  either  side. 
Over  the  centre  door  is  the  large  west  window  of 
nine  lights,  often  compared  to  the  window  of  West- 
minster Hall.  Above  is  a  gable,  surmounted  by 
a  cross.  The  doors  date  from  1436,  and  the  west 


352  NORWICH 

window  from  Bishop  Lyhart's  time  (1446-1472). 
There  are  no  towers  here;  for  the  pinnacles  placed 
on  the  side  turrets  in  1875  are  not  deserving  of 
this  name. 


The  Tower  and  Spire  stand  at  the  intersection  of  the 
choir  and  transepts,  covered  with  vertical  shafts  on  the 
face  of  each.  The  tower  is  Norman  buttress,  which  is 
finished  by  a  crocketed  pinnacle.  Between  these  buttresses 
are  horizontal  bands  of  design :  the  lowest,  a  Norman 
arcade  of  nine  arches,  three  of  which  are  pierced  as  win- 
dows; then,  above  this,  a  smaller  wall  arcade  with  inter- 
laced arches;  and  then,  above  again,  the  principal  feature, 
an  arcading  of  nine  arches,  three  pierced  for  windows,  and 
the  others  filled  with  wall  tracery  of  diamonds  and  circles ; 
then,  between  this  last  and  the  battlemented  parapet,  occur 
five  vertical  panels,  each  comprising  two  circles,  the  upper 
pierced  for  a  window.  Above,  soaring  upward,  rises  the 
later  crocketed  spire.  The  rest  of  the  tower  was  finished 
during  the  reign  of  Henry  I.,  and  is  a  beautiful  speci- 
men of  the  work  of  that  time;  the  stonework  was  almost 
entirely  refaced  in  1856.  The  tower  was  crowned  by  a 
wooden  spire  from  1297;  this  was  blown  down  in  1361, 
damaging  the  presbytery  so  badly  that  the  clerestory  had 
to  be  rebuilt.  The  wooden  spire  was  constructed  probably 
at  the  same  time,  and  the  present  Early  Perpendicular  tur- 
rets were  added.  The  spire  was  again  in  1463  struck  by 
lightning,  and  again  falling  eastward,  went  through  the 
presbytery  roof.  The  present  spire  was  then  constructed  in 
stone  by  Bishop  Lyhart  (1446-72),  and  was  finished  by 
his  successor,  Bishop  Goldwell  (1472-99),  who  added  the 
battlements. 

"  It  will  hardly  be  necessary  to  enlarge  on  the  beauty 
of  this  spire  of  Norwich,  as  the  dominant  feature,  seen 
from  the  south-east,  rising  above  the  curved  sweep  of  the 
apse,  and  strongly  buttressed  by  the  south  transept,  it 
stands  up,  clearly  defined  against  the  western  sky,  and 
points  upward,  significant  and  symbolical  at  once  of  the 
ends  and  aspirations  of  the  church  below. 

"The  eastern  arm,  or  presbytery,  takes  its  history  from 
the  tower.  Here,  as  in  the  nave,  the  original  triforium 


NORWICH  353 

windows  are  blocked  up,  and  a  range  of  Perpendicular 
work  superimposed  on  the  old.  Above  and  beyond  this, 
supported  between  each  bay  by  flying-buttresses,  comes  the 
transitional  Decorated  to  Perpendicular  clerestory,  higher 
than  the  original  Norman  clerestory  remaining  to  the  nave. 
At  the  base  of  each  flying- buttress  are  figures  of  saints. 
The  roof  and  Norman  clerestory  were  damaged  by  the 
falling  tower  in  1361,  but  were  rebuilt  by  Bishop  Percy, 
1355-69.  This  work  is  transitional  Decorated  to  Perpen- 
dicular. The  presbytery  was  then  re-roofed  with  a  framed 
timber  construction,  which  was  consumed  by  the  falling  of 
the  burning  spire,  struck  by  lightning  in  1463.  The  present 
stone  vault  was  added  in  its  place  by  Bishop  Goldwell, 
1472-99.  This  necessitated  the  addition  as  well  of  flying- 
buttresses  to  take  the  thrust  of  the  vault. 

"  The  battlementing  to  the  presbytery  also  was  added  at 
the  same  time  as  the  flying-buttresses. 

"  It  will  also  be  noted  that  here,  as  in  the  nave,  an  addi- 
tion was  made  in  the  way  of  a  range  of  later  '  Perpendicu- 
lar '  windows  superimposed  over  the  original  Norman 
triforium,  which  was  blocked  up." — (C.  H.  B.  Q.) 

The  south  transept  projects  under  the  central 
tower. 

Next  follows  the  Chapel  of  St.  Mary  the  Less 
(Fourteenth  Century)  projecting  southward,  then 
the  circular  Chapel  of  St.  Luke  (Norman),  very 
peculiar  in  form,  with  two  rows  of  arcading. 

The  north  side  is  well  viewed  from  the  Bishop's 
Gardens.  It  differs  little  from  the  south  side,  ex- 
cept in  the  fact  that  it  has  been  less  restored.  The 
chapel  corresponding  with  the  Chapel  of  St.  Luke 
is  the  Jesus  Chapel,  and  is  also  circular.  Here  we 
find  Perpendicular  windows  inserted  in  the  Norman 
work. 

"  The  nave  on  the  south  side  can  be  seen  well  either  from 
the  upper  or  lower  Close,  and  can  be  better  examined  in 
detail  from  the  interior  of  the  cloisters.  Its  elevation  con- 


354  NORWICH 

sists  of  fourteen  bays  divided  by  flat  Norman  buttresses. 
In  height  it  is  composed  of  what,  at  first  sight,  appears  a 
bewildering  confusion  of  arches,  arcades  and  windows. 
Over  the  aisle  windows,  hidden  by  the  north  walk  of 
cloisters,  comes  a  Norman  wall  arcading;  and  over  this  the 
Norman  triforium  windows  blocked  up,  and  again,  above 
the  later  Perpendicular  triforium,  superimposed  on  the  old, 
and  finished  with  a  battlemented  parapet.  Behind  this 
come  the  triforium  roof,  and  then  beyond  the  original  Nor- 
man clerestory,  each  bay  with  a  triple  arch  formation,  the 
centre  arch  pierced'  for  a  window.  And  then  above  all,  the 
lead  roof  over  the  nave  vault. 

"  The  radical  changes  that  have  taken  place  since  the 
nave  was  built  by  Bishop  Eborard  (1121-45)  consist  of  the 
insertion  in  the  aisles  of  later  '  Decorated '  traceried  win- 
dows in  place  of  the  original  Norman  ones,  and  of  the 
superimposition,  before  referred  to,  at  triforium  level,  of 
a  whole  range  of  '  Perpendicular '  windows  over  the  old 
Norman  work,  which  were  blocked  up  at  this  period.  The 
battlementing,  too,  over  the  clerestory  to  the  nave  is  later 
work,  to  correspond  with  battlementing  over  the  triforium 
windows.  It  will  be  noticed  that  the  two  bays  next  the 
transept  in  the  triforium  are  higher  than  the  others,  in 
order  to  throw  additional  light  into  the  choir. 

"  Also  on  this  same  south  side,  in  the  seventh  and  eighth 
bays  from  the  west  end,  two  very  late  windows  occur,  in- 
serted in  the  Norman  arcading  under  the  original  triforium 
windows ;  these  were  inserted  by  Bishop  Nykke  to  light  the 
chapel  he  built  in  two  bays  of  the  south  aisle  of  the  nave. 

"  The  curious  raking  of  the  lead  rolls  to  the  nave  roof 
is  noticeable;  the  mediaeval  builders  did  this  with  a  view 
of  counteracting  the  '  crawl'  of  the  lead."— (C.  H.  B.  Q.) 


Norwich  Cathedral  is  famous  for  its  magnificent 
interior.  A  noble  view  is  obtained  on  entering,  for 
the  great  Nave  reaches  200  feet  to  the  choir-screen ; 
and  if  the  organ  on  the  latter  were  removed,  the 
view  would  be  longer,  for  the  extreme  length  of  the* 
Cathedral  is  407  feet.  The  perspective  is  splendid, 
as  it  is,  and  very  largely  is  it  so  because  of  the 


NORWICH  355 

lierne  vault  of  Perpendicular  days,  which  relieves 
the  seventy  of  the  Norman  work  below. 

The  nave  consists  of  seven  double  bays  ( fourteen 
compartments)  from  the  west  end  to  the  transepts. 
The  main  piers  are,  of  course,  large,  and  the  arcade 
arches  are  ornamented  with  the  billet.  The  tri- 
forium  arches  are  decorated  with  a  chevron  or  zig- 
zag. Over  it  is  the  typical  Norman  clerestory  and 
above  all  spreads  the  handsome  lierne  vault  (Per- 
pendicular). This  splendid  vault  (72  feet),  built  by 
Bishop  Lyhart  (1446-1472),  after  the  Norman  roof 
had  been  destroyed  by  fire  in  1463,  is  of  great  value 
to  the  student.  There  are  328  carved  bosses  at  the 
intersection  of  the  ribs,  the  subjects  of  which  are 
taken  from  Biblical  history. 

"  The  vault  is  of  Perpendicular  design,  and  known  as 
lierne ;  such  vaults  may  be  distinguished  by  the  fact  that 
between  the  main  ribs,  springing  from  the  vaulting  shafts, 
are  placed  cross  ribs  forming  a  pattern,  as  it  were,  and 
bracing  the  main  ribs,  but  not  in  any  great  measure  struc- 
tural. This  vault  at  Norwich  may  be  taken  as  typical  of 
the  last  legitimate  development  of  the  stone  roof;  it  was 
the  precursor  of  the  later  fan-vaulting,  such  as  we  find 
in  Henry  VII.'s  chapel  at  Westminster,  where  legitimate 
construction  was  replaced  by  ostentatious  ingenuity  and  the 
accumulation  of  needless  ornament  and  detail. 

"  To  all  those  who  take  an  interest  in  early  stone-cutting, 
this  vault  of  Norwich  is  a  store  of  inexhaustible  treasure; 
the  bosses,  rudely  cut  as  they  are,  tell  their  own  tales  with 
singular  truth  and  directness.  Their  sculpture  may  not 
display  the  anatomical  knowledge  of  the  work  of  the 
Renaissance;  yet  it  has  a  distinct  decorative  value  that  has 
been  seldom  equalled  in  the  later  decadent  period.  The 
fourteen  large  central  bosses  on  the  main  longitudinal' ribs 
present  in  themselves  an  epitome  not  only  of  Bible  his- 
tory, but  of  the  connecting  incidents  forming  the  theme  of 
Christian  teaching.  In  the  tenth  bay,  on  the  longitudinal 
rib,  there  is,  in  place  of  a  boss,  a  circular  hole  through 


356  NORWICH 

the  vault.  It  is  supposed  to  have  been  formed  to  allow 
a  thurible  to  be  suspended  therefrom  into  the  church  be- 
low. Harrod,  quoting  from  Lambard's  '  Topographical 
Dictionary/  says:  'I  myself,  being  a  child,  once  saw  in 
Poule's  Church  at  London,  at  a  feast  of  Whitsontide, 
wheare  the  comyng  down  of  the  Holy  Cost  was  set  forth 
by  a  white  pigeon  that  was  let  to  fly  out  of  a  hole  that  is 
yet  to  be  seen  in  the  mydst  of  the  roof  of  the  great  He, 
and  by  a  long  censer  which,  descending  out  of  the  same 
place  almost  to  the  very  ground,  was  swinged  up  and  down 
at  such  a  length  that  it  reached  at  one  swepe  almost  to 
the  west  gate  of  the  church,  and  with  the  other  to  the 
queer  [quire}  stairs  of  the  same,  breathing  out  over  the 
whole  church  and  companie  a  most  pleasant  perfume  of 
such  sweet  things  as  burned  therein.' 

"  It  is  probable  that  the  hole  in  the  nave  vault  at 
Norwich  was  used  for  a  similar  purpose;  and  its  position 
would  seem  to  agree  with  such  use,  situated  as  it  is  about 
midway  between  the  west  end  and  where  the  front  of  the 
mediaeval  rood  loft  occurred." — (C.  H.  B.  Q.) 

In  the  aisles  we  find  Decorated  windows,  and  in 
the  triforium,  Perpendicular  windows. 

The  Choir-Screen  was  erected  by  Bishop  Lyhart 
in  1446-1472,  but  only  the  lower  part  survived  the 
fury  of  the  Puritan  mob.  The  organ  was  placed 
in  its  present  position  in  1833.  Immediately  under 
the  organ  loft  is  a  single  compartment,  blocked  off 
from  the  north  and  south  aisles  by  screens  that 
originally  belonged  to  one  old  screen  (Perpendicu- 
lar). This  ante-chapel  was  formerly  the  chapel  of 
Our  Lady  of  Pity. 

The  Choir  extends  a  little  into  the  nave,  and, 
therefore,  beyond  the  tower  and  transepts.  There 
are  sixty  splendid  Choir-stalls  of  the  Fifteenth 
Century,  with  ornate  misereres.  The  Bishop's 
Throne  and  Pulpit  are  modern.  The  old  Pelican 
Lectern,  in  the  Decorated  style,  should  be  noticed. 


NORWICH  :   EAST 


NORWICH  :    CHOIR 


NORWICH  357 


The  Presbytery  is  the  earliest  part  of  the  cathe- 
dral. It  consists  of  four  compartments,  or  bays, 
and  terminates  in  a  semicircular  apse  of  five  com- 
partments. We  find  here  Perpendicular  arches,  a 
lofty  Norman  triforium,  and  clerestory  windows  of 
the  transitional  period  from  Decorated  to  Perpen- 
dicular. The  whole  effect  is  Norman  and  noble. 
Unfortunately  the  old  glass  of  the  windows  has 
perished. 

The  aisles  of  the  presbytery  are  also  called  the 
Processional  Path,  and  consist  of  four  bays,  and 
five  around  the  apse.  A  door  in  the  north  aisle 
opens  into  the  gardens  of  the  Bishop's  Palace ;  and 
in  this  aisle,  at  the  fourth  bay  east  of  the  tower, 
there  is  a  very  peculiar  bridge-chapel  that  spans 
the  aisle.  Critics  say  that  it  formed  the  ante-chapel 
to  the  reliquary  chapel  projecting  northward  from 
the  outer  wall  of  the  Cathedral,  and  that  it  was 
probably  built  as  a  bridge  for  exhibiting  relics  as 
the  processions  passed  along  underneath. 

On  the  south  side  of  the  presbytery  (third  bay) 
is  the  Chapel  of  St.  Mary  the  Less,  or  Bauchon 
Chapel  (Fourteenth  Century).  It  projects  beyond 
the  wall.  The  vault  is  Fifteenth  Century,  and  the 
bosses  represent  the  Life,  Death  and  Assumption 
of  the  Virgin.  This  is  now  the  Consistory  Court. 

The  north  transept  is  without  aisles  or  triforium. 
Arcading  decorates  the  wall  up  to  the  clerestory. 
Above  is  a  lierne  vault  of  later  date,  of  course,  than 
the  transept.  The  old  apsidal  chapel  on  the  east 
(dedicated  to  St.  Anne)  is  now  used  as  a  store- 
room. 

A  staircase  in  the  east  wall  of  the  north  transept 
leads  to  the  tower-galleries  and  walks,  very  inter- 
esting in  themselves  and  affording  glimpses  through 


358  NORWICH 

their  openings  into  the  nave,  presbytery  and  tran- 
septs below. 

Between  the  south  aisle  of  the  presbytery  and  the 
south  transept  a  beautiful  screen  of  late  Perpen- 
dicular tracery  fills  the  Norman  arch.  The  roof, 
like  that  of  the  north  transept,  originally  of  wood, 
was  destroyed  by  fire  in  1509,  and  a  new  vault 
added  in  Perpendicular  times. 

Of  the  three  chapels  grouped  around  the  presby- 
tery the  Jesus  Chapel  on  the  north  and  the  chapel 
on  the  south,  St.  Luke's,  remain.  The  Lady- 
Chapel,  at  the  extreme  east,  has  perished. 

The  Norman  Lady-Chapel  was  partly  destroyed 
by  the  fire  of  1169,  and  was  succeeded  by  an  Early 
English  chapel  of  the  Thirteenth  Century.  This 
was  destroyed  in  the  Sixteenth  Century;  but  the 
finely  proportioned  entrance  arches  still  remain.1 
They  are  ornamented  with  the  dog-tooth. 

It  is  not  often  that  ancient  altar-pieces  are  found 
in  the  English  cathedrals ;  but  Norwich  possesses  a 
Retable,  supposed  to  be  the  work  of  an  Italian 
painter  of  the  Fourteenth  Century.  It  is  in  five 
panels — The  Scourging,  Bearing  the  Cross,  Cruci- 
fixion, Resurrection  and  Ascension.  It  was  for- 
merly in  the  Jesus  Chapel. 

The  Cloisters  are  in  their  usual  position — on  the 
south.  Originally  these  were  Norman,  and  perished 
by  fire  in  1272.  The  present  ones  were  133  years  in 
building,  and  so  they  reveal  the  developments  of 
architecture  during  1297-1430.  The  cloister  garth 
is  about  145  feet  square. 

"  The  arches  are  filled  with  open  tracery  carried  by 
two  mullions. 

"  On  the  east  side  it  is  geometrical  in  character,  the 
work  being  transitional  between  Early  English  and  Deco- 


NORWICH  359 

rated;  on  the  south  side  the  tracery  is  more  flowing  and 
has  advanced  to  Decorated;  on  the  west  side  again,  we 
get  the  transitional  style  between  Decorated  and  Perpen- 
dicular, with  some  flamboyant  or  flame-like  detail;  while 
on  the  north  and  latest  side  it  is  frankly  Perpendicular." — 
(C  H.  B.  Q.) 

They  are  entered  from  the  south  side  of  the  nave, 
of  course.  The  Monk's  Door,  opening  into  the 
East  Walk,  is  an  ornate  specimen  of  Perpendicular ; 
and  the  Prior's  Door,  opening  into  the  West  Walk, 
a  fine  specimen  of  Early  Decorated. 


ST.  ALBANS 

DEDICATION  :  ST.  ALBAN.    CHURCH  OF  A  BENEDICTINE  MON- 
ASTERY. 

WHEN  Sir  Gilbert  Scott  began  to  restore  and  re- 
pair the  old  abbey  church  of  St.  Albans,  in  1870, 
he  found  it  in  a  very  dilapidated  condition.  Among 
other  base  uses  to  which  various  parts  of  the  Cathe- 
dral had  been  put,  the  Lady-Chapel  had  been  con- 
verted into  a  grammar-school,  and  a  thoroughfare 
had  been  made  through  the  retro-choir.  After 
Scott's  death,  in  1878,  Lord  Grimthorpe,  who  had 
been  diligent  and  liberal  for  years  regarding  resto- 
rations, succeeded  in  getting  control  of  the  entire 
work.  He  made  various  changes  and  additions,  and 
inserted  windows  at  his  own  pleasure,  not  always 
with  judgment,  nor  in  the  best  taste.  The  conse- 
quence is  that  St.  Albans  is  open  to  much  criticism. 
Yet  it  remains  an  interesting  old  pile  in  many 
respects. 

St.  Albans  did  not  become  a  cathedral  until  1877. 
It  was  a  famous  old  abbey  church,  dating  back  to 
the  days  of  OfTa  II.,  King  of  the  Mercians,  who 
founded  a  Benedictine  monastery  here  about  793. 
From  this  time  until  the  suppression  of  the  mon- 
asteries by  Henry  VIII.,  the  Abbey  of  St.  Albans 
was  of  the  greatest  importance.  Its  Abbot  had  a 
seat  in  the  House  of  Lords,  and  took  precedence  of 
all  the  abbots  in  the  kingdom.  Naturally,  there- 
fore, the  list  of  abbots  is  notable.  Some  of  them 
were  related  to  the  royal  family.  Among  those 
360 


ST.  ALBANS  361 

especially  distinguished  were:  Paul  of  Caen,  John 
de  Cella,  William  of  Trumpington,  John  of  Hert- 
ford, Roger  of  Norton,  Hugh  of  Eversden,  Richard 
of  Wallingford,  Thomas  de  la  Mare,  John  de  la 
iMoote,  John  of  Wheathampstead,  and  Thomas 
Wolsey,  the  great  cardinal. 

Royalty  was  entertained  in  the  Abbey  on  many 
occasions  as  both  guest  and  prisoner.  When  the 
Abbey  was  consecrated  in  1115  by  the  Archbishop 
of  Rouen,  Henry  VIII.  and  his  queen,  Matilda, 
with  their  courtiers,  were  entertained  from  Decem- 
ber 27  until  January  6;  Richard  II.  stayed  here  for 
eight  days  after  Wat  Tyler's  rebellion  had  subsided ; 
and  here  the  conspiracy  against  him  was  planned, 
when  the  Duke  of  Gloucester  and  the  Prior  of 
Westminster  were  dining  with  the  abbot,  John  de  la 
Moote.  In  1399  John  of  Gaunt's  body  rested  here; 
and  Richard  II.,  and  Henry,  Duke  of  Lancaster 
(Henry  IV.)  were  here  in  the  same  year.  During 
the  Wars  of  the  Roses  the  Abbey  of  St.  Albans 
was  frequently  used  as  a  prison.  In  the  first  battle 
of  St.  Albans  (May  23,  1455),  when  the  White 
Roses  were  victorious,  Henry  was  confined  in  the 
monastery;  but  in  the  second  battle  (February  17, 
1461),  the  king,  having  been  captured,  was  set  at 
liberty  by  his  brave  wife,  Margaret  of  Anjou,  who 
marched  from  Wakefield  with  18,000  men.  The 
royal  party  went  to  the  Abbey,  where  the  monks 
chanted  thanksgiving  and  in  every  way  received 
them  with  delight.  The  undisciplined  horde  of 
soldiers  unfortunately  ran  wild  in  the  town  and 
plundered  the  Abbey.  Their  behaviour  was  such 
that  Abbot  John  Stokes  changed  his  politics,  and 
became  an  ardent  Yorkist. 

Among  the  celebrated  monks  of  St.  Albans  Mat- 


362  ST.  ALBANS 

thew  Paris  takes  the  lead,  the  great  historian  whose 
book  begins  with  the  creation  and  continues  to  1259. 

St.  Albans  for  a  long  period  received  "  Peter's 
Pence."  This  was  first  levied  by  the  King  of  the 
West  Saxons  in  727,  and  was  a  tax  of  one  penny 
on  each  family  owning  lands.  The  receipt  amounted 
to  thirty  pence  a  year  and  went  to  the  support  of 
a  Saxon  College  at  Rome ;  and  because  it  was  col- 
lected on  August  i  (the  day  of  St.  Peter  ad  Vin- 
cula)  it  was  called  "  Peter's  Pence."  Offa  induced 
the  Pope  to  give  it  to  the  Abbey  of  St.  Albans. 

The  monastic  buildings  have  all  perished,  and 
the  only  remnant  of  the  Abbey  is  the  Great  Gate, 
built  in  the  days  of  Thomas  de  la  Mare,  about  1365. 
Over  the  archway  there  is  a  large  room  in  which 
sessions  used  to  be  held,  and  below  the  road  the 
curious  may  inspect  the  dungeons.  This  Gateway 
was  a  law-court  and  prison;  and,  as  the  Abbot  of 
St.  Albans  had  civil  jurisdiction  over  all  the  town, 
as  well  as  his  monastery,  many  offenders  were 
tried  and  condemned  here.  In  the  days  of  Wat 
Tyler's  rebellion  John  Ball  and  his  seventeen  com- 
panions were  tried  here  and  spent  their  last  days  in 
the  dungeons.  Another  scene  that  we  can  picture  is 
that  of  the  monks  bringing  out  ale  and  wine  to 
quell  the  fury  of  the  mob  that  stormed  the  Gate- 
house before  the  news  of  Wat  Tyler's  death  arrived. 

St.  Albans  was  a  favorite  place  of  pilgrimage, 
for  it  sheltered  the  remains  of  the  first  Christian 
martyr  in  Britain.  Alban,  or  Albans,  was  a  young 
soldier,  who,  during  the  persecution  of  the  Chris- 
tians in  the  Fourth  Century,  befriended  a  deacon 
named  Amphibalus  by  receiving  him  in  his  house. 
Amphibalus  converted  him.  Alban  exchanged 
clothing  with  him  so  that  he  might  escape.  Am- 


ST.  ALBANS  363 

phibalus  was  captured,  however,  and  executed  near 
Verulamium.  Alban  was  also  beheaded;  and  a 
few  years  after  his  death  a  church  was  built  over 
the  spot  where  his  blood  had  been  shed.  The  north 
transept  of  the  existing  church  is  said  to  cover  this 
place. 

Matthew  Paris  states  that  the  body  of  St.  Alban 
was,  during  an  invasion,  removed  from  the  church 
for  safety,  and  afterward  placed  in  its  original 
grave.  Offa  II.  found  the  coffin  containing  the 
remains  of  the  martyr  and  laid  them  in  a  splendid 
reliquary,  taking  care  first  to  place  a  golden  band 
around  the  head  with  th'e  inscription  "Hoc  est 
caput  Sancti  Albani."  Offa  also  had  the  martyr 
canonized.  With  a  miracle-working  shrine,  the 
richly-endowed  monastery  continued  to  flourish. 

The  Abbey  Church  was  deemed  quite  large 
enough  until  Paul  of  Caen  (1077-1093)  was  ap- 
pointed abbot  by  William  the  Conqueror.  In  about 
eleven  years  only  (1077-1088)  he  rebuilt  St.  Al- 
bans,  using  many  of  the  Roman  bricks  from  the 
ruins  of  the  neighbouring  Verulamium  and  timber 
already  collected.  His  was  an  enormous  Norman 
edifice  (460  feet),  longer  even  than  Canterbury 
(290  feet). 

After  a  hundred  years  or  so,  Abbot  John  de  Cella 
(1195-1214)  made  various  changes.  Money  was 
raised  in  various  ways  for  the  purpose,  and  among 
them  the  abbot  persuaded  his  monks  to  do  without 
wine  for  fifteen  years  and  contribute  the  savings 
to  the  fund  for  building. 

After  him  came  William  of  Trumpington  (1214- 
1235),  who  continued  the  work  of  building.  He 
also  constructed  the  cloister.  Let  us  see  exactly  in 
what  their  work  consisted : 


364  ST.  ALBANS 

"Abbot  John  de  Cella  (1195-1214)  pulled  down  the  west 
front  and  began  to  build  a  new  one  in  its  place.  He  laid  the 
foundation  of  the  whole  front,  but  then  went  on  with  the 
north  side  first.  The  north  porch  was  nearly  finished  in  his 
time ;  the  central  porch  was  carried  up  as  far  as  the  spring 
of  the  arch ;  the  southern  porch  was  carried  hardly  any  way 
up  from  the  foundations.  The  porches  are  described  by 
those  who  saw  them  before  Lord  Grimthorpe  swept  away 
the  whole  west  front  as  some  of  the  choicest  specimens 
of  Thirteenth  Century  work  in  England.  The  mouldings 
were  of  great  delicacy,  and  were  enriched  with  dog-tooth 
ornament.  It  is  said  that  Abbot  John  was  not  a  good  man 
of  business,  and  that  he  was  sorely  robbed  and  cheated  by 
his  builders,  and  so  had  not  money  enough  to  finish  the 
work  that  he  had  planned.  .  To  his  successor,  William  of 
Trumpington,  it  therefore  fell  to  carry  on  the  work.  He 
was  a  man  of  a  more  practical  character,  though  not  equal 
to  his  predecessor  in  matters  of  taste.  He  finished  the  main 
part  of  the  western  front.  Oddly  enough  no  dog-tooth 
ornament  was  used  in  the  central  and  southern  porches,  and 
the  character  of  the  carved  foliage  differs  also  from  that 
of  the  north  porch.  In  Abbot  John's  undoubted  work  the 
curling  leaves  overlap,  and  have  strongly  defined  stems 
resembling  the  foliage  of  Lincoln  choir,  while  that  of 
Abbot  William's  time  had  the  ordinary  character  of  the 
Early  English  style.  There  is  evidence  to  show  that  he 
intended  to  vault  the  church  with  a  stone  roof;  this  may 
be  seen  from  the  marble  vaulting-shafts  on  the  north  side 
of  the  nave  between  the  arches  of  the  main  arcade,  which, 
however,  are  not  carried  higher  than  the  string-course  be- 
low the  triforium.  The  idea  of  a  stone  vault  was,  however, 
abandoned  before  the  two  eastern  Early  English  bays  on 
the  south  side  were  built,  for  no  preparation  for  vaulting 
shafts  exists  there. 

"  Abbot  John  de  Cella  had  begun  to  build  afresh  the 
western  towers,  or,  according  to  some  authorities,  to  build 
the  first  western  towers  that  the  church  ever  had ;  we  have 
'no  record  of  their  completion,  and  it  is  said  that  Abbot 
William  abandoned  the  idea.  We  have  only  the  founda- 
tions by  which  we  can  determine  their  size.  William  of 
Trumpington  transformed  the  windows  of  the  aisles  into 
Early  English  ones.  He  also  added  a  wooden  lantern  to 


ST.  ALBANS  365 

the  tower,  somewhat  in  the  style  of  the  wooden  octagon 
on  the  central  tower  of  Ely." — (T.  P.) 

The  next  changes  were  made  in  the  east  end. 
These  were  begun  in  the  last  half  of  the  Thirteenth 
Century.  The  walls  of  the  presbytery  were  raised ; 
the  Saint's  Chapel  built;  then  the  retro-choir;  and 
then  the  Lady-Chapel  (1326). 

Then  Hugh  of  Eversden  (1308-1326)  became 
abbot  and  had  to  rebuild  the  part  of  the  nave  that 
fell  in  1323.  His  work  was  continued  by  Richard 
of  Wallingford  (1326-1335)  and  completed  by 
Michael  of  Mentmore  in  1345. 

John  de  Wheathampstead,  who  was  twice  abbot 
(1420-1440,  and  1451-1464),  rebuilt  the  upper  part 
of  the  west  front,  made  changes  in  the  roofs,  in- 
serted Perpendicular  windows  in  the  ends  of  the 
transept,  and  also  converted  the  Norman  triforium 
arches  into  windows  by  filling  them  with  Perpen- 
dicular tracery.  His  chantry  was  built  after  his 
death.  William  of  Wallingford  (1476-1484)  con- 
tributed the  gorgeous  screen. 

The  exterior  has  no  interest  for  the  student  of 
architecture.  The  enormous  church  is  plain,  and 
Lord  Grimthorpe  has  been  at  work  everywhere. 
The  only  feature  that  has  any  real  beauty  is  the 
fine  Norman  tower. 

"  It  is  144  feet  high  and  is  not  quite  square  in  plan, 
measuring  47  feet  from  east  to  west,  and  two  feet  less  from 
north  to  south.  The  walls  are  about  seven  feet  thick ;  in  the 
thickness,  however,  passages  are  cut.  It  has  three  stages 
above  the  ridges  of  the  roof.  The  lower  stage  has  plain 
windows  in  each  face,  lighting  the  church  below ;  the  next 
stage,  or  ringing  room,  has  two  pairs  of  double  windows ; 
and  the  upper  or  belfry  stage,  two  double  windows  of 
large  size,  furnished  with  louvre  boards.  The  parapet  is 
battlemented,  and  of  course  of  later  work  than  the  tower 


366  ST.  ALBANS 

itself.  The  tower  is  flanked  by  pilaster  buttresses,  which 
merge  into  cylindrical  turrets  in  the  upper  story.  For 
simple  dignity  the  tower  stands  unrivalled  in  this  coun- 
try. It  must  have  been  splendidly  built  to  have  stood 
as  it  has  done  so  many  centuries  without  accident.  Win- 
chester tower  fell  not  long  after  its  building,  Peterborough 
tower  has  been  rebuilt  in  modern  days ;  but  Paul  of  Caen 
did  not  scamp  his  work  as  the  monks  of  Peterborough  did, 
and  no  evil-living  king  was  buried  below  the  tower,  as  was 
the  case  at  Winchester,  thus,  according  to  the  beliefs  of 
the  time,  leading  to  its  downfall.  Tewkesbury  tower  alone 
can  vie  with  that  of  St.  Albans,  and  the  Seventeenth  Cen- 
tury pinnacles  on  that  tower  spoil  the  general  effect,  so  that 
the  foremost  place  among  central  Norman  towers  as  we 
see  them  to-day  may  safely  be  claimed  for  that  at  St. 
Albans.  Few  more  beautiful  architectural  objects  can  be 
seen  than  this  tower  of  Roman  brick,  especially  when  the 
warmth  of  its  colour  is  accentuated  by  the  ruddy  flush 
thrown  over  it  by  the  rays  of  a  setting  sun." — (T.  P.) 

The  pilgrims  to  St.  Alban's  shrine  used  to  enter 
by  the  North  Door  of  the  Transept,  carrying  the 
candles  that  they  had  bought  at  the  Waxhouse 
Gate.  This  Norman  doorway,  with  a  Norman  win- 
dow on  each  side  (modern  glass),  still  exists.  The 
upper  part  of  the  north  wall  with  the  wheel  window 
was  rebuilt  by  Lord  Grimthorpe. 

The  nave  is  immensely  long — about  a  tenth  of 
a  mile.  It  is  Norman,  grim,  and  cold,  but  im- 
pressive. 

"As  we  stand  just  inside  the  west  door  of  the  church 
we  are  struck  by  the  length  of  ritual  nave,  about  200  feet, 
the  flatness  of  the  roofs,  and  the  massiveness  of  the  ar- 
cading  dividing  the  nave  from  the  aisles;  for,  though  the 
four  western  bays  on  the  north  side  and  five  on  the  south 
are  Early  English  in  date,  there  is  none  of  that  lightness 
and  grace  that  we  are  accustomed  to  associate  with  work 
of  this  period,  no  detached  shafts  of  Purbeck  marble  such 
as  we  see  at  Salisbury,  no  exquisitely  carved  capitals  such 


w 


§ 

w 

bf 


03 


CO 


ST.  ALBANS  367 

as  we  meet  with  at  Wells.  William  of  Trumpington  seems 
to  have  aimed  at  making  his  work  harmonize  with  the 
Norman  work  that  he  left  untouched ;  and  when  the  rest 
of  the  main  arcade  on  the  south  side  was  rebuilt  in  the 
next  century,  it  was  made  to  differ  but  little  in  general 
appearance  and  dimensions  from  Abbot  William's. 

"  On  entering  by  the  west  door  a  peculiarity  will  at  once 
be  noticed.  About  fifteen  feet  from  the  inner  side  of  the 
west  wall  there  is  a  rise  of  five  steps  which  stretch  right 
across  the  church  from  north  to  south.  The  floor  to  the 
east  of  these  steps  slopes  imperceptibly  upwards  for  eight 
bays,  when  a  rise  of  three  more  steps  is  met  with.  On  this 
higher  level  stands  the  altar,  which  is  backed  up  by  the 
rood  screen.  There  is  another  step  to  be  ascended  to  the 
level  of  the  choir,  and  another  to  reach  the  space  below  the 
tower.  Five  steps  lead  from  this  into  the  presbytery ;  there 
is  another  step  at  the  high  altar  rails,  and  four  more  lead 
up  to  the  platform  on  which  the  high  altar  will  stand.  From 
the  space  below  the  tower  one  step  leads  up  into  the  north 
aisle  and  two  more  into  the  north  arm  of  the  transept. 
From  the  level  of  the  south  choir  aisle  and  south  transept 
two  steps  lead  up  into  the  south  aisle  of  the  presbytery ; 
from  this  aisle  there  is  a  rise  of  four  steps  into  the 
aisle  south  of  the  Saint's  Chapel,  and  from  this  into  the 
chapel  itself  a  rise  of  four  more.  So  that  the  floor  of 
this  chapel  is,  with  the  exception  of  the  high  altar  platform, 
which  is  one  step  higher,  the  highest  in  the  whole  church,  or 
nineteen  steps  above  the  floor  just  inside  the  west  door. 
From  the  aisle  of  the  Saint's  Chapel  one  step  leads  into  the 
retro-choir,  and  two  more  into  the  Lady-Chapel ;  hence  the 
floor  of  the  Lady-Chapel  is  one  step  lower  than  that  of 
the  Saint's  Chapel.  If  we  take  seven  inches  as  the  average 
height  of  a  step,  it  would  appear  that  the  floor  of  the  Lady- 
Chapel  is  about  ten  feet  higher  than  the  floor  at  the  west 
end  of  the  nave."— (T.  P.) 

The  nave  is  blocked  behind  the  altar  with  a  Rood 
screen,  of  Fourteenth  Century  work,  much  re- 
stored. It  is  pierced  by  two  doors  (also  Fourteenth 
Century),  through  which  processions  passed  into 
the  choir.  Upon  it  the  organ  is  placed. 


368  ST.  ALBANS 

The  eastern  part  of  the  nave  was  rebuilt  after  the 
calamity  that  happened  on  St.  Paulinus's  Day  (Oc- 
tober 10),  1323.  Mass  had  just  been  celebrated, 
and  the  church  was  still  crowded  with  men,  women 
and  children,  when  two  of  the  great  piers  of  the 
main  arcade  on  the  south  side  fell  outwards,  crush- 
ing the  south  wall  of  the  aisle  and  cloisters.  Soon 
the  wooden  roof  of  the  nave  also  fell.  Strange  to 
relate  nobody  was  injured;  and  although  the  shrine 
of  St.  Amphibalus  was  damaged,  still  the  chest 
that  contained  his  relics  suffered  no  harm. 

All  this  part  of  the  church  had  to  be  rebuilt; 
and,  of  course,  the  south  arcade  differs  from  the 
northern  one. 

A  massive  pier;  either  the  original  Norman  or  one 
rebuilt  in  the  Norman  style,  divides  the  five  Early 
English  bays  on  the  west  from  the  Decorated  -ones 
on  the  east.  West  we  find  the  characteristic  tooth 
ornament ;  and  east,  the  characteristic  ball-flower. 

When  the  pestilence  was  raging  in  London  (only 
twenty  miles  away)  in  1543,  1589,  and  1593,  courts 
of  justice  were  held  in  this  nave.  On  the  north 
side  a  pier  bears  an  inscription  to  the  memory  of 
Sir  John  Mandeville,  the  famous  traveller,  who 
was  born  at  St.  Albans  in  the  Fourteenth  Century 
and  educated  in  the  monastery  school. 

The  massive  piers  were  coated  with  plaster  and 
then  painted.  Each  has  traces  of  the  same  picture 
of  the  Crucifixion,  with  a  second  subject  below  it. 
This  subject  differs  on  every  column.  The  soffits 
of  the  arches  were  also  bright  with  colour,  so  that 
the  severity  and  plainness  that  we  now  feel  were 
originally  missing. 

"Although  in  the  four  western  bays  of  the  main  arcade 
the  Early  English  work  is  very  plain,  yet  the  triforium  is 


ST.  ALBANS  369 

ornate.  The  arcading  consists  of  two  pointed  arches  in 
each  bay,  each  comprising  two  sub-arches;  the  supporting 
columns  are  slender  and  enriched  with  dog-tooth  mould- 
ings, with  which  also  the  string-course  below  the  triforium 
is  decorated.  The  shafts,  which  probably  were  intended  to 
support  a  stone  vault  over  the  nave,  should  be  noticed. 

"  The  triforium  over  the  Norman  main  arcade  consists 
of  large,  wide-splayed,  round-headed  openings,  in  which 
the  tracery  and  glazing  introduced  in  the  Fifteenth  Cen- 
tury, when  the  aisle  roof  was  lowered  in  pitch  so  as  to 
expose  the  north  side  of  the  triforium  to  the  sky,  still  re- 
mains. One  of  the  triforium  arches,  namely,  the  third  from 
the  tower,  was  simply  walled  up  at  this  time,  and  so  re- 
tains its  original  form.  The  clerestory  in  this  part  of 
the  church  consists  of  plain,  round-headed  openings.  Be- 
tween each  bay  the  outer  southern  face  of  each  Norman 
pier  is  continued  in  the  form  of  the  flat  pilaster  buttress  up 
to  the  roof."—  (T.  P.) 

The  piers  of  the  choir,  like  those  of  the  nave, 
were  originally  painted.  So  was  the  ceiling.  Wall- 
paintings  were  likewise  discovered  between  the 
clerestory  windows  in  1875.  The  choir-stalls  and 
Bishop's  Throne  are  modern.  In  the  south-choir- 
aisle  the  tomb  of  Roger  and  Sigar,  two  local  her- 
mits, was  once  a  place  of  pious  pilgrimage. 

The  arches  of  the  Tower  are  fifty-five  feet  high. 
The  four  inside  faces  of  the  lantern  contain  win- 
dows above  the  arcade,  and  the  ceiling  of  the 
lantern  (102  feet  from  the  floor)  is  painted  with 
the  red  and  white  roses  of  Lancaster  and  York,  and 
various  coats-of-arms.  The  effect  of  the  tower  is 
impressive.  The  peal  consists  of  eight  bells,  cast 
in  London  in  1699.  Some  of  the  bells  have  been 
recast. 

Beneath  the  Presbytery  notable  abbots,  monks 
and  laymen  were  given  burial.  The  presbytery  is 
divided  from  the  aisles  by  solid  walls,  broken  by 


370  ST.  ALBANS 

the  Ramryge  and  Wheathampstead  chantries,  and 
two  doorways :  it  is  closed  in  on  the  east  side  by  a 
magnificent  screen,  constructed  during  William  of 
Wallingford's  rule  (1476-1484),  and  generally 
known  as  the  Wallingford  Screen.  It  is  hard  to 
realize  that  the  lace-like  canopies,  of  which  it  is 
composed,  are  made  of  stone.  The  material  is 
clunch,  a  hard  stone  from  the  lower  chalk  forma- 
tion. This  great  reredos  has  been  restored  of  late 
years  and  filled  with  statues.  There  are  no  records 
to  describe  or  even  name  the  original  figures ;  but 
those  now  occupying  the  niches,  by  Mr.  H.  Hems, 
of  Exeter,  are,  beginning  on  the  left  and  reading 
downwards:  (i)  St.  Titus,  St.  Timothy,  St.  Bar- 
nabas, Angel  Gabriel;  (2)  King  Edmund,  St.  Cuth- 
bert,  St.  Augustine;  (3)  St.  Oswyn,  St.  Giles,  St. 
Cecilia,  St.  Boniface,  St.  Katherine,  St.  David;  (4) 
King  Off  a,  St.  Helen,  oak  door;  (5)  St.  Ethelbert, 
St.  Leonard,  St.  Agnes,  St.  Nicholas,  St.  Frides- 
wide,  St.  Chad;  (6)  Edward  the  Confessor,  St. 
Benedict,  St.  Aiban;  (7)  Angel,  Angel,  Angel;  (8) 
Angel,  Blessed  Virgin  Mary;  (9)  Crucifix;  (10) 
Angel,  St.  John;  (n)  Angel,  Angel,  Angel;  (12) 
St.  Hugh  of  Lincoln,  St.  Patrick,  St.  Amphibalus; 

(13)  Edward  King  of  West  Saxons,  St.  Lawrence, 
St.   Lucy,   St.   Wolf stan,   St.   Osyth,   St.  Alphege; 

(14)  Pope  Adrian  IV.,  St.  Etheldreda,  oak  door; 

(15)  St.  George,  St.  Benedict,  Biscop,  St.  Ethel- 
berga,  St.  Richard;  (17)  The  Venerable  Bede,  St. 
Germain,  St.  Erkenwald,  St.  Margaret,  St.  ^Elfric; 
(18)   St.  Paul,  St.  Luke,  St.  Mark,  St.  Mary  the 
Virgin.     Below    the    Crucifix    stands    a   row    of 
smaller  statues  representing  Christ  and  the  Twelve 
Apostles.     On  Christ's  right:  St.  James  Minor,  St. 
Philip,  St,  John,  St.  James  Major,  St.  Andrew,  St. 


ST.  ALBANS  371 

Peter;  and  on  his  left:  St.  Thomas,  St.  Bartholo- 
mew, St.  Matthew,  St.  Simon,  St.  Matthias  and 
St.  Jude. 

On  the  right  and  left  of  the  altar  are  chantries. 
The  south  one  is  that  of  John  of  Wheathampstead, 
who  was  twice  Abbot  (1420-1440,  and  1451-1464). 
His  effigy  is  robed  in  full  vestments,  carries  a  pas- 
toral staff  and  wears  a .  mitre.  His  rebus — three 
ears  of  wheat — and  his  motto — Valles  habundabunt 
. — appear  in  various  places. 

On  the  other  side  of  the  steps  the  handsomer 
Ramryge  Chantry  commemorates  Abbot  Thomas 
Ramryge,  who  also  has  a  rebus — a  ram  wearing  a 
collar  with  the  letters  R.  Y.  G.  E.  upon  it.  He 
entered  office  in  1492,  and,  strange  to  relate,  no 
details  of  his  rule  are  known.  The  date  of  his 
death  is  also  a  blank.  Yet  here  is  his  fine  monu- 
ment in  the  Perpendicular  style. 

Behind  the  Wallingford  Screen  lies  the  Saint's 
Chapel,  with  the  Shrine  of  St.  Alban  in  the  centre. 

"  The  bones  of  St.  Alban  were  of  course  counted  as  the 
chief  treasure  of  the  Abbey,  in  some  respects  the  most 
valuable  relics  in  the  kingdom,  since  they  were  the  bones 
of  the  first  Christian  martyr  in  the  island.  It  was  meet  and 
fitting,  then,  that  the  most  splendid  resting-place  should 
be  chosen  for  them.  The  bones  themselves  were  enclosed 
in  an  outer  and  an  inner  case;  the  inner  was  the  work  of 
the  sixteenth  Abbot,  Geoffrey  of  Gorham  (1119-1149),  and 
the  outer  of  the  nineteenth  Abbot,  Symeon  (1167-1183). 
These  coffers  were  of  special  metal  encrusted  with  rich 
gems.  It  is  recorded  that  the  reliquary  was  so  heavy  that 
it  required  four  men  to  carry  it,  which  they  probably  did 
by  two  poles,  each  passing  through  two  rings  on  either 
side  of  the  coffer.  It  is  said  to  have  been  placed  in  a  lofty 
position  by  Abbot  Symeon ;  but  the  pedestal  of  which  we 
see  the  reconstruction  to-day  was  erected  during  the  early 
part  of  the  Fourteenth  Century,  in  the  time  of  the  twenty- 


372  ST.  ALBANS 

sixth  Abbot,  John  de  Marinis  ( 1302-1308) .  This  was  built  of 
Purbeck  marble  and  consists  of  a  basement  2  feet  6  inches 
high,  8  feet  6  inches  long,  and  3  feet  2  inches  wide,  above 
which  were  four  canopied  niches  at  each  side  and  one  at 
each  end ;  these  were  richly  painted  and  probably  contained 
other  relics ;  in  the  spandrels  were  carved  figures,  at  the  cor- 
ners angels  censing.  At  the  west  end  was  a  representation  of 
St.  Alban's  martyrdom ;  on  the  south  side  in  the  centre  was, 
and  still  is,  a  figure  of  King  Offa  holding  the  model  of  a 
church ;  in  the  next  spandrel  to  the  east  the  figure  of  an- 
other king;  on  the  east  side  a  representation  of  the  scourg- 
ing of  St.  Alban,  and  on  the  north  other  figures,  of  which- 
the  only  one  remaining  is  that  of  a  bishop  or  mitred  abbot. 
In  the  pediments  or  gables  were  carvings  of  foliage,  and 
round  the  top  of  the  pedestal  ran  a  richly-carved  cornice; 
round  the  base  stood  fourteen  detached  shafts,  on  which 
perhaps  the  movable  canopy  rested,  and  outside  three 
other  shafts  of  twisted  pattern  on  each  side,  which  car- 
ried six  huge  candles,  probably  kept  burning  day  and 
night,  certainly  during  the  night,  to  light  the  chamber  hold- 
ing the  shrine.  On  this  lofty  pedestal,  8  feet  3  inches 
high,  the  glorious  shrine  rested.  It  was  rendered  still 
more  ornate  than  it  was  in  Abbot  Symeon's  time  by  the 
addition  of  a  silver-gilt  turret,  on  the  lower  part  of  which 
was  a  representation  of  the  Resurrection  with  two  angels 
and  four  knights  (suggested  by  the  guard  of  Roman 
soldiers)  keeping  the  tomb.  A  silver-gilt  eagle  of  cun- 
ning craftsmanship  stood  on  the  shrine.  All  these  addi- 
tions were  given  by  Abbot  Thomas  de  la  Mare  (1349- 
1396).  A  certain  monk  also  gave  two  representations  of 
the  sun  in  solid  gold,  surrounded  by  rays  of  silver  tipped 
with  precious  stones.  Over  all  was  a  canopy  which,  like 
many  modern  font-covers,  was  probably  suspended  by  a 
rope  running  over  a  pulley  in  the  roof,  by  which  it  might 
be  raised.  There  is  a  mark  in  the  roof  remaining,  possibly 
caused  by  the  fastening  of  the  pulley.  An  altar,  dedicated 
to  St.  Alban,  stood  at  the  west  end  of  the  pedestal. 

"  Such  a  precious  thing  as  this  jewelled  shrine  and  the 
still  more  precious  bones  within  it  could  not  be  left  for  a 
moment  unguarded  and  unwatched,  for  stealing  relics, 
when  a  favourable  opportunity  arose,  was  a  temptation  too 
great  to  be  resisted  by  any  monks,  however  holy.  So  on 


ST.  ALBANS  373 

the  south  side  of  the  shrine  was  erected  a  watching  loft; 
the  one  that  remains  was  constructed  probably  during  the 
reign  of  Richard  II.,  and  his  badge  appears  on  it,  but, 
no  doubt,  from  the  first  there  was  some  such  place  provided 
for  the  purpose  of  keeping  guard.  The  chamber  had 
two  stories :  the  lower  contained  cupboards,  in  which  vest- 
ments and  relics  were  kept,  these  are  now  filled  with 
various  antiquarian  curiosities,  Roman  pottery  from  Veru- 
lamium,  architectural  fragments,  etc.  An  oaken  stair- 
case leads  up  into  the  chamber  where  the  '  custos  f  eretri ' 
sat  watching  the  shrine  day  and  night,  guard  of  course 
being  changed  at  intervals.  It  must  have  been  trying  work 
watching  there  during  the  night-time  in  frosty  weather, 
but  monks  were  accustomed  to  bear  cold.  The  watching 
chamber  was  built  of  oak  and  was  richly  carved.  On  the 
south  side  of  the  cornice  are  angels,  the  hart — badge  of 
Richard  II.,  the  martyrdom  of  St.  Alban,  Time  the  reaper, 
and  the  seasons;  on  the  north  the  months  of  the  year  are 
represented."— (T.  P.) 

On  the  south  side  is  buried  Humphrey,  Duke  of 
Gloucester,  son  of  Henry  IV.,  brother  of  Henry  V., 
and  uncle  of  Henry  VI.  He  died  in  1447.  The 
handsome  tomb  was  probably  erected  by  the  Abbot 
Wheathampstead,  who  was  a  great  friend  of  Duke 
Humphrey's. 

In  the  north  aisle  of  the  Saint's  Chapel  we  come 
to  the  pedestal  of  the  Shrine  of  St.  Amphibalus 
(see  page  362).  It  stood  in  the  centre  of  the 
retro-choir  until  Lord  Grimthorpe  removed  it  to  its 
present  position. 

An  oak  screen  separates  the  Saint's  Chapel  from 
the  Retro-Choir.  This  is  Lord  Grimthorpe's  work, 
and  through  it  we  pass.  The  Retro-Choir  dates 
from  the  end  of  the  Thirteenth  Century,  and  has 
been  greatly  restored.  In  the  centre  once  stood 
the  shrine  of  St.  Amphibalus  (now  removed  to  the 
north  aisle  of  the  Saint's  Chapel),  and  there  were 
several  altars :  to  Our  Lady  of  the  Four  Tapers ;  to 


374  ST.  ALBANS 

St.  Michael;  to  St.  Edmund,  King  and  Martyr;  to 
St.  Peter;  and  to  St.  Amphibalus. 

The  Lady-Chapel,  greatly  restored,  dates  from 
the  latter  part  of  the  Thirteenth  and  early  part  of 
the  Fourteenth  Centuries.  Several  changes  of  style 
may  be  noted.  The  side  windows  are  fine  examples 
of  the  Decorated,  and  the  statuettes  ornamenting 
the  jambs  and  mullions  still  remain.  The  eastern 
window  of  five  lights  is  a  strange  combination  of 
tracery  and  tabernacle  work.  Originally  the  Lady- 
Chapel  was  separated  from  the  retro-choir  by  a 
screen.  The  glass  in  the  windows  is  modern,  and 
the  stone  vaulting  is  also  modern.  Historical  asso- 
ciations are  numerous. 

Beneath  the  floor  lie  the  hated  Edmund  Beau- 
fort, Duke  of  Somerset,  grandson  of  John  of  Gaunt ; 
Henry  Percy,  Earl  of  Northumberland,  son  of  the 
famous  Hotspur ;  and  Thomas,  Lord  Clifford : 
whose  bodies  were  found  lying  dead  in  the  streets 
of  St.  Albans,  after  the  first  battle  in  1455,  in  which 
they  fell  fighting  for  the  Red  Rose  party. 

Beyond  the  eastern  bay  on  the  south  side  was 
built  the  Chapel  of  the  Transfiguration,  dedicated 
in  1430.  Of  late  years  this  addition  was  rebuilt 
for  a  vestry.  The  walls  were  made  lower  than  the 
original  ones,  so  as  to  show  the  fine  window  above 
that  consists  of  a  traceried  arch  within  a  curvilinear 
triangle,  beneath  which  is  a  row  of  niches.  Beneath 
these  is  a  very  fine  row  of  sedilia  and  piscina.  The 
carving  in  the  new  chapel  is  very  naturalistic,  and 
represents  the  poppy,  buttercup,  primrose,  .goose- 
berry, rose,  blackberry,  pansy,  ivy,  maple,  and 
convolvulus  and  other  local  flowers  and  leaves. 


OXFORD 

DEDICATION:    THE    HOLY    TRINITY,    ST.    MARY    AND    ST. 

FRIDESWIDE. 
SPECIAL  FEATURES:  CEILING  IN  CHOIR;  WINDOWS;  SHRINE 

OF  ST.  FRIDESWIDE. 

THIS  Cathedral  is  peculiar  .in  being  almost  hidden 
from  sight  in  a  series  of  college  buildings,  gardens 
and  quadrangles.  It  is  the  chapel  of  Christ  Church, 
as  well  as  a  cathedral ;  and  to  enter  it  we  have  to 
pass  through  the  gateway  of  the  famous  Tom 
Tower,  and  across  the  great  quadrangle,  familiarly 
known  as  Tom  Quad. 

The  big  bell  Tom  gives  its  name  to  the  tower 
and  quadrangle,  is  seven  feet  one  inch  in  diameter, 
and  weighs  17,000  tons.  It  was  brought  from 
Oseney  Abbey  with  the  other  bells,  the  "  merry 
Christ  Church  bells,"  that  now  hang  in  the  bell- 
tower  above  the  hall  staircase.  Tom  was  recast  in 
1680. 

The  lower  story  of  Tom  Tower  was  built  by 
Cardinal  Wolsey.  The  cupola  was  added  by  Sir 
Christopher  Wren.  Three  sides  of  the  quadrangle 
were  built  by  Wolsey,  and  the  north  side  by  Bishop 
Fell.  As  we  pass  through  Tom  Tower  we  note 
that  a  statue  of  Cardinal  Wolsey  faces  St.  Aldgate's, 
and  a  statue  of  Queen  Anne  faces  the  quadrangle. 

Christ  Church  is  the  largest  college  in  the  Uni- 
versity of  Oxford,  and  stands  on  the  site  of  the 
ancient  priory  of  St.  Frideswide. 

In  1524  Cardinal  Wolsey  obtained  authority  from 
375 


376  OXFORD 

Henry  VIII.  and  Clement  VIII.  to  suppress  a  num- 
ber of  religious  houses  in  various  parts  of  England, 
and  to  appropriate  their  revenues  to  the  building 
and  endowing  of  a  College.  After  he  had  made 
considerable  progress  in  the  building  of  Christ 
Church  he  fell  into  disgrace  with  the  King,  who 
seized  the  property  and  distributed  it  among  his 
courtiers.  At  a  later  period  Henry  VIII.  refounded 
the  establishment,  and  added  to  it  the  Abbey  of 
Oseney,  which  was  then  the  Cathedral  of  the  See  of 
Oxford.  Christ  Church  (the  present  Cathedral) 
was  at  that  time  called  the  College  of  Henry  VIII. , 
and  was  a  Collegiate  Church.  In  1546,  on  the  sup- 
pression of  Oseney  Abbey,  St.  Frideswide  became 
the  Cathedral  Church  of  Oxford.  Oseney  is  de- 
picted in  the  King  window  (see  page  391). 

The  foundation  was  converted  into  one  of  secular 
canons  in  the  Eighth  or  Ninth  Century;  and  these 
were  in  turn  succeeded  by  the  regular  canons,  who 
built  their  chapter-house,  dormitory,  refectory  and 
cloisters.  In  1158  they  began  the  present  Cathedral, 
which  was  completed  in  1180,  having  swept  away 
the  Saxon  church  rebuilt  by  King  Ethelred  in  1004, 
according  to  some  critics,  while  other  antiquaries 
think  that  much  of  the  present  Cathedral  is  St. 
Ethelred's.  The  church  was  dedicated  to  the  Holy 
Trinity,  St.  Mary,  and  St.  Frideswide,  and  was 
somewhat  peculiar  for  the  Twelfth  Century,  in  being 
more  elegant  than  was  usual  at  that  time.  Cramped 
for  room  the  south  transept  was  cut  off  for  the 
sake  of  the  cloisters ;  and  aisles  were  given  to  the 
north  transept.  There  was  no  room  for  a  Lady- 
Chapel  at  the  east  end;  and,  consequently,  an  addi- 
tional aisle  north  of  the  north  aisle  of  the  choir 
was  built.  The  same  arrangement  occurs  at  Ripon ; 


OXFORD  377 

the  Elder  Lady  Chapel  at  Bristol  holds  a  similar 
position. 

"  St.  Frideswide  Church,  now  Christ  Church  Cathedral, 
Oxford,  is  a  fine  example  of  late  Norman  and  transitional 
work  of  early  character.  It  was  consecrated  in  1180,  and 
was  probably  building  for  about  twenty  years  previously : 
the  confirmation,  by  Pope  Hadrian  IV.  (Breakspeare,  the 
only  English  Pope),  of  the  charters  granting  the  Saxon 
monastery  of  St.  Frideswide  to  the  Norman  monks  was 
not  obtained  until  1158,  and  it  is  not  probable  that  they 
began  to  rebuild  their  church  until  their  property  was 
secured.  The  Prior  at  this  period  was  Robert  of  Crick- 
lade,  called  Canutus,  a  man  of  considerable  eminence, 
some  of  whose  writings  were  in  existence  in  the  time  of 
Leland.  Under  his  superintendence  the  church  was 
entirely  rebuilt  from  the  foundations,  and  without  doubt 
on  a  larger  scale  than  before,  as  the  Saxon  church  does 
not  appear  to  have  been  destroyed  until  this  period. 

"The  design  of  the  present  structure  is  very  remarkable; 
the  lofty  arched  recesses,  which  are  carried  up  over  the 
actual  arches  and  the  triforium,  giving  the  idea  of  a 
subsequent  work  carried  over  the  older  work;  but  an  ex- 
amination of  the  construction  shows  that  this  is  not  the 
case,  that  it  was  all  built  at  one  time,  and  that  none  of 
it  is  earlier  than  about  1160.  In  this  church  the  central 
tower  is  not  square,  the  nave  and  choir  being  wider  than 
the  transepts,  and  consequently  the  east  and  west  arches 
are  round-headed,  while  the  north  and  south  are  pointed: 
this  would  not  in  itself  be  any  proof  of  transition,  but  the 
whole  character  of  the  work  is  late,  though  very  rich  and 
good,  and  the  clerestory  windows  of  the  nave  are  pointed 
without  any  necessity  for  it,  which  is  then  a  mark  of 
transition."— (J.  H.  P.) 

St.  Frideswide  (Bond  of  Peace),  or  "  the  Lady," 
as  she  was  called  in  Oxford,  lived  early  in  the 
Eighth  Century,  when  Ethelbald  was  king  of  Mer- 
cia.  Her  father,  Didan,  was  a  prince  who  lived  in 
the  city  of  Oxford  about  727,  where  Frideswide 
was  born.  Of  her  early  piety,  her  refusal  of  mar- 


378  OXFORD 

riage,  her  foundation  of  this  nunnery  at  Oxford, 
her  miracles  of  healing  and  her  "  glorious  death/' 
there  are  many  pretty  stories. 

St.  Frideswide's  Church  was  burned  in  1002, 
when  Ethelred  the  Unready  ordained  the  Massacre 
of  the  Danes. 

Ethelred  afterwards  made  a  vow  that  he  would 
rebuild  St.  Frideswide's  Church;  and  in  1004  he 
began  the  splendid  edifice,  of  unusual  magnificence 
for  the  period. 

Robert  of  Cricklade,  prior  from  1141  to  1180, 
seems  to  have  restored  Ethelred's  church;  and  in 
that  year  the  relics  of  St.  Frideswide  were  trans- 
lated to  a  more  conspicuous  place  in  the  church. 

Many  distinguished  noblemen  and  prelates  were 
present : 

"After  they  were  meet,  and  injoyned  fasting  and  prayers 
were  past,  as  also  those  ceremonies  that  are  used  at  such 
times  was  with  all  decency  performed,  then  those  bishops 
that  were  appointed,  accompanied  with  Alexio,  the  pope's 
legat  for  Scotland,  went  to  the  place  where  she  was  buried, 
and  opening  the  sepulchre,  took  out  with  great  devotion  the 
remainder  of  her  body  that  was  left  after  it  had  rested 
there  480  yeares,  and  with  all  the  sweet  odours  and  spices 
imaginable  to  the  great  rejoycing  of  the  multitude  then 
present  mingled  them  amongst  her  bones  and  laid  them 
up  in  a  rich  gilt  coffer  made  and  consecrated  for  that 
purpose,  and  placed  it  on  the  north  side  of  the  quire,  some- 
what distant  from  the  ground,  and  inclosed  it  with  a 
partition  from  the  sight  hereafter  of  the  vulgar." — 
(A.-a-W.) 

In  1289  these  relics  were  again  translated  and 
placed  in  the  position  of  the  old  shrine,  probably  in 
the  north-choir-aisle,  where  the  marble  base  recently 
discovered  now  stands  (see  page  385). 

"In  the  Lancet  period  (1190-1245)  the  works  went  on 
apace.  An  upper  stage  was  added  to  the  tower  and  on  that 


OXFORD  379 

the  spire  was  built — the  first  large  stone  spire  in  England. 
It  is  a  Broach  spire,  i.e.,  the  cardinal  sides  of  the  spire 
are  built  right  out  to  the  eaves,  so  that  there  is  no  parapet. 
On  the  other  hand,  instead  of  having  broaches  at  the 
angle  it  has  pinnacles.  Moreover,  to  bring  down  the 
thrusts  more  vertically,  heavy  dormer  windows  are  in- 
serted at  the  foot  of  each  of  the  cardinal  sides  of  the 
spire, — altogether  a  very  logical  and  scientific  piece  of 
engineering,  much  more  common  in  the  early  spires  of 
Northern  France  than  in  England." — (F.  B.) 

About  the  Thirteenth  Century  the  monks  built 
the  Chapter-House  now  standing;  then  the  Lady- 
Chapel  ;  altered  the  Norman  windows  to  Decorated ; 
and  in  the  Fifteenth  Century  made  many  changes 
in  the  new  Perpendicular  style. 

Wolsey  destroyed  half  of  the  nave  in  order  to 
build  Tom  Quad.  His  idea  was  to  erect  a  magnifi- 
cent church  on  a  large  scale ;  but  in  the  meantime 
his  fall  occurred.  In  1546  St.  Frideswide's  was 
made,  as  already  noted,  the  Cathedral  Church  of 
Oxford. 

In  the  Seventeenth  Century  the  tracery  of  many 
windows  was  altered  for  the  sake  of  glass  by  the 
Dutchman  Abraham  Van  Ling,  for  which  old  win- 
dows depicting  scenes  from  St.  Frideswide's  life 
and  ancient  arms  were  sacrificed.  In  later  times 
some  of  Van  Ling's  windows  suffered  the  same  fate, 
for  modern  work.  One  of  his  windows,  however, 
remains  (see  page  382).  Some  of  the  windows 
were  smashed  during  the  Puritan  wars ;  but  on  the 
whole  the  Cathedral  escaped  damage. 

Christ  Church  being  a  royal  college,  during  the 
Civil  War  a  University  regiment  of  Cavaliers  was 
drilled  in  Tom  Quad ;  and  when  Charles  I.  occupied 
Oxford,  after  Edgehill,  he  held  court  in  Christ 
Church. 


380  OXFORD 

The  Cathedral  went  through  the  fate  of  all  Eng- 
lish cathedrals  in  the  Nineteenth  Century ;  and 
finally,  in  1870,  a  thorough  restoration  was  under- 
taken by  Dean  Liddell  and  Sir  Gilbert  Scott,  whose 
conservative  alterations  and  restorations  of  win- 
dows, etc.,  have  brought  all  the  parts  of  the  Cathe- 
dral into  harmony.  The  windows  of  Burne- Jones 
are  a  great  addition  to  the  charm  of  the  interior. 

"  The  whole  church  is  exceedingly  interesting.  It  fills 
a  niche  in  the  history  of  English  architecture  all  by 
itself.  It  is  not  the  early  and  rude  Traditional  work  of 
the  Cistercians.  On  the  other  hand,  it  has  not  yet  the 
lightness  and  grace  of  Ripon;  still  less  the  charm  of  the 
Canterbury  choir,  Chichester  presbytery,  Wells  and  Abbey 
Dore — Gothic  in  all  but  name.  In  spite  of  a  pointed  arch 
here  and  there,  it  is  a  Romanesque  design. 

"  The  work  commenced,  as  usual,  at  the  east,  as  is  shown 
by  the  gradual  improvement  westward  in  the  designs  of  the 
capitals.  The  evidence  of  the  vaulting,  too,  points  in  the 
same  direction.  In  the  choir-aisle  the  ribs  are  massive 
and  heavy;  in  the  western  aisle  of  the  north  transept 
they  are  lighted;  in  the  south  aisle  of  the  nave  they  are 
pointed  and  filleted."— (F.  B.) 

Owing  to  its  secluded  position  it  is  almost  impos- 
sible to  get  a  view  of  the  Cathedral ;  but  the  tower 
and  spire  can  be  seen  from  the  cloisters. 

The  Cloisters  line  three  sides  of  the  square  only, 
for  the  west  side  was  destroyed  by  Wolsey  for  the 
hall  staircase,  which  is  surmounted  by  the  Bell 
Tower,  in  which  the  bells  from  the  Abbey  of 
Oseney  hang. 

"From  the  same  position  at  the  west  of  the  cloister  one 
can  enjoy  the  best  view  of  the  tower  and  spire  of  the 
church.  One  is  close  enough  to  see  all  the  detail  and  yet 
from  this  angle  nothing  is  lost  of  the  general  effect.  On 
a  moonlit  evening  the  effect  is  particularly  solemn  and 
beautiful.  From  this  point  also  should  be  noticed  the 


OXFORD  381 

difference  in  the  masonry  of  the  south  transept.  The  lower 
story  is  entirely  rubble,  while  the  upper  story  is  partly 
of  good  ashlar  work. 

"  On  the  south  side  of  the  cloister  is  the  Old  Library, 
as  it  is  now  called,  which  was  formerly  the  refectory  of 
the  monastery,  and  is  all  that  now  remains  of  the  con- 
ventual buildings.  Its  large  Perpendicular  windows,  ris- 
ing like  a  clerestory  above  it,  look  on  to  the  cloister,  but 
they  were  spoilt  on  the  inside  by  a  staircase,  when  the 
building  was  turned  into  undergraduates'  rooms.  On  the 
other  side,  facing  the  meadow  buildings,  there  is  a  curi- 
ous little  oriel  window,  its  lights  now  walled  up,  that  once 
contained  the  pulpit  whence  the  lessons  were  read  during 
meals."— (P.  D.) 

We  may  remember,  as  we  stand  here,  that  Cran- 
mer  was  unfrocked  in  this  quadrangle. 

Entering  through  the  porch  in  Tom  Quad,  cut 
through  one  of  the  canonical  houses,  we  come  into 
a  sort  of  ante-chapel  with  the  organ  screen  before 
us.  Passing  under  the  screen  we  have  an  unbroken 
view  of  the  Nave,  the  Choir  with  its  wonderful 
ceiling  and  the  handsome  wheel-window  rising 
above  the  arcade  and  two  round-headed  windows 
at  the  east  end. 

"  Christ  Church  is  the  smallest  of  our  cathedrals ;  for 
even  with  the  new  ante-chapel  it  measures  about  175  feet  in 
length.  Instead  of  being  of  the  usual  cruciform  plan,  it 
is  now  almost  square, — in  fact,  the  length  from  the  reredos 
to  the  organ-screen  is  132  feet,  while  the  breadth  across 
from  the  Latin  Chapel  to  St.  Lucy's  Chapel  is  108  feet. 
The  church  is  made  up  of  the  shortened  nave  with  its  two 
aisles,  and  ante-chapel,  the  central  tower,  the  north  tran- 
sept with  its  one  aisle,  the  south  transept,  and  the  eastern 
half  of  the  church,  which  itself  contains  no  less  than  six 
divisions, — the  choir,  with  its  two  aisles,  the  Lady-Chapel 
on  the  north,  and  the  Latin  Chapel  (or  St.  Catherine's) 
on  the  north  again  of  that,  while  on  the  south  is  the  small 
chapel  of  St.  Lucy. 

"If  the  unusual  appearance  of  the  cathedral  is  partly 


382  OXFORD 

due  to  Wolsey's  destruction,  it  is  partly  due  also  to  its 
being  used  as  a  college  chapel,  and  partly  to  the  fact 
that  in  general  plan,  and  to  some  extent  in  detail,  it  is 
Ethelred's  design,  commenced  seventy  years  before  the 
great  developments  of  Norman  architecture  began." — 
(P.  D.) 

We  stop  at  the  west  end  of  the  north  aisle  of  the 
nave  to  examine  the  one  remaining  window  de- 
signed by  Van  Ling. 

"  There  are  various  opinions  about  this  window,  which 
represents  Jonah  sitting  under  his  gourd,  and  the  town  of 
Nineveh  in  the  distance.  We  must  confess  to  a  great  ad- 
miration for  it;  the  foliage  is  fine  and  rich,  and  if  it  is  a 
little  over-strong  in  its  green,  that  only  makes  it  more 
characteristic  of  its  age.  And,  however  that  may  be,  there 
cannot  be  two  opinions  as  to  beauty  of  the  town  in  the 
background,  which  reminds  one  irresistibly  of  Diirer;  and, 
with  its  rich  brown  houses,  bluish  roofs,  touches  of  green- 
ery, and  fair  purple  hills  beyond,  makes  the  right-hand 
light  of  the  window  a  picture  of  which  one  never  wearies. 
The  whole  is  leaded  in  rectangular  panes,  like  Bishop 
King's  window." — (P.  D.) 

We  now  cross  to  the  west  end  of  the  south  aisle 
of  the  nave  to  see  Burne-Jones's  Faith,  Hope  and 
Charity  window,  a  memorial  to  Edward  Denison 
(died  1870),  son  of  the  Bishop  of  Salisbury,  and  a 
pioneer  worker  in  the  East  End  of  London. 

"  The  figure  of  Hope  has  a  greyish-blue  drapery,  varied 
in  tint  and  diapered  with  the  pattern  of  a  flower  in  stain. 
The  scarf  floating  round  the  figure  is  sky-blue  in  tone 
and  lighter  than  the  dress.  The  figure  of  Charity  has  a 
ruby  over-mantle,  with  a  white  dress  underneath ;  while  the 
figure  of  Faith  has  a  blue  dress  beautifully  and  richly 
diapered,  the  upper  portion  with  a  sumptuous  Venetian 
design  familiar  on  the  brocades  of  the  Sixteenth  Century, 
and  the  lower  portion  with  a  sprig  of  foliage.  The  tone 
of  the  backgrounds  is  a  rich,  warm  green,  and  is  very 
carefully  painted  with  foliage,  and  the  contrast  yielded  by 


OXFORD:    TOWER  AND  ENTRANCE 


OS 

c 
U 


X 

O 


OXFORD  383 

the  pale  blue  of  the  drapery,  and  the  rich,  warm  green  of 
the  background  in  the  two  outside  windows,  is  most  har- 
monious and  striking.  The  detail  in  this  window  is  very 
elaborate,  and  every  part  of  it  bears  traces  of  care  and 
thought."— (P.  D.) 

The  Choir  consists  of  four  bays,  with  the  presby- 
tery beyond.  Perpendicular  alterations  are  notice- 
able in  the  upper  part.  The  triforium  is  late  Nor- 
man. The  pillars  are  larger  than  those  in  the  nave 
and  their  capitals  are  very  fine  specimens  of  stone 
carving.  Some  critics  go  so  far  as  to  say  they  are 
Saxon. 

The  most  striking  feature  of  the  whole  Cathedral 
is  the  pendant  ceiling  of  the  Choir. 

"  Fergusson  considers  this  work  to  be  the  most  satis- 
factory attempt  ever  made  to  surmount  the  great  difficulty 
presented  in  all  fan-tracery  by  the  awkward,  flat,  central 
space  which  is  left  in  each  bay  by  the  four  cones  of  the 
vault.  At  Gloucester,  King's  College  Chapel,  Cambridge, 
Henry  VII.'s  Chapel,  Westminster,  and  other  places,  vari- 
ous attempts  were  made  to  deceive  the  eye,  and  hide  the 
unmanageable  space;  in  Henry  VII.'s  Chapel  the  well- 
known  pendants  were  boldly  introduced  with  this  object. 
None  were  wholly  satisfactory,  but,  says  Fergusson : — 

' '  Strange  as  it  may  appear  from  its  date,  the  most 
satisfactory  roof  of  this  class  is  that  erected  by  Cardinal 
Wolsey  over  the  choir  of  Oxford  Cathedral.  In  this  in- 
stance the  pendants  are  thrust  so  far  forward,  and  made 
so  important,  that  the  central  part  of  the  roof  is  practically 
quadripartite.  The  remaining  difficulty  was  obviated  by 
abandoning  the  circular,  horizontal  outline  of  true  fan- 
tracery,  and  adopting  a  polygonal  form  instead.  As  the 
whole  is  done  in  a  constructive  manner  and  with  appropri- 
ate detail,  this  roof,  except  in  size,  is  one  of  the  best  and 
most  remarkable  ever  executed.' 

"  Fan-tracery  is  a  peculiarly  English  feature,  and  was 
invented,  according  to  Fergusson,  in  order  to  get  rid  of 
the  endless  repetition  of  inverted  pyramids  which  earlier 
vaulting  produced.  He  therefore  considers  it  an  improve- 


384  OXFORD 

ment  on  the  vaulting  of  the  early  English  and  Decorated 
periods;  and,  as  he  thinks  the  ceiling  of  Christ  Church 
Cathedral  to  be  the  best  example  of  fan-tracery,  he  comes 
near  to  pronouncing  it  the  finest  in  the  world." — (P.  D.) 

The  East  End  is  Scott's  restoration  in  the  style 
of  the  Twelfth  Century.  The  large  wheel-window 
(an  imitation  from  Canterbury)  and  the  two  round- 
headed  windows  below  produce  a  fine  effect. 

On  the  left  of  the  Choir  we  come  to  the  most 
curious  part  of  the  Cathedral.  Columns  and  arches 
mark  the  divisions  of  the  north-choif-aisle,  the 
Lady-Chapel  further  north  and  the  Latin  Chapel 
beyond — practically  three  aisles.  The  east  end  of 
each  aisle  contains  a  beautiful  Burne- Jones  window. 
The  north  transept  forms  the  western  boundary  of 
these  three  aisles,  which  are  in  reality  only  an  ex- 
tension of  this  transept. 

"  Here  the  eye  wanders  among  pillars  and  arches  which 
branch  away  in  so  many  directions  that  the  grandest 
churches  can  scarcely  give  more  thoroughly  the  idea  of 
infinity.  And  here  one  stands  on  the  site  of  St.  Frides- 
wide's  first  little  church,  with  the  very  arches  that  she  had 
built  for  her,  still  standing  in  all  their  primitive  sim- 
plicity. 

"  At  the  end  of  the  north-choir-aisle  is  the  St.  Cecilia 
window,  presented  in  honour  of  the  patroness  of  music 
by  Dr.  Corfe,  a  former  organist,  in  1873.  In  the  centre 
light  the  saint  is  represented  playing  her  regal  or  small 
hand-organ ;  two  angels  holding  other  musical  instruments, 
with  palms  in  their  hands,  stand  by  her.  The  drapery  is 
wrought  in  white  glass,  the  angels  have  pale-blue  wings, 
and  the  flesh  tints  matted  over  with  red  tell  warm  against 
the  drapery.  In  the  lower  panels  are  three  scenes  from  her 
life :  '  Here  St.  Cecilia  teaches  her  husband/  '  Here  an 
angel  of  the  Lord  teaches  St.  Cecilia/  '  Here  St.  Cecilia 
wins  a  heavenly  crown ; '  the  saint's  figure  in  the  last 
panel  is  most  touchingly  drawn.  These  lower  panels  are 
richer  in  colour  than  the  rest,  and  a  greater  variety  of 


OXFORD  385 

tints  is  introduced;  but  the  colours  are  so  delicate,  and 
so  skilfully  blended,  that  they  fall  in  most  harmoniously 
with  the  main  parts  of  the  window." — (P.  D.) 

In  the  most  eastern  arch  between  the  north-choir- 
aisle  and  the  Lady-Chapel  we  stop  to  examine  the 
Shrine  of  St.  Frideswide. 

"  The  coffer  or  shrine,  which  was  made  for  the  transla- 
tion in  1289  (its  base  being  therefore  the  most  ancient 
monument  in  the  cathedral),  was  knocked  to  pieces  at  the 
Reformation  (1538),  and,  being  of  wood,  must  have  en- 
tirely perished.  But  gradually,  and  from  different  places, 
fragments  of  the  base  were  brought  together :  first,  several 
pieces  of  delicately  carved  marble  were  discovered  in  the 
sides  of  a  square  well  in  the  yard  south-west  of  the 
cathedral;  then  a  part  of  the  plinth  on  the  south  side  was 
found  to  be  in  use  as  a  step,  luckily  with  the  carved  por- 
tion turned  inwards;  next  a  spandrel  was  detected  by  Mr. 
Francis,  the  head  verger,  in  the  wall  of  the  cemetery;  and 
last  of  all  a  piece  of  the  plinth  was  found  in  a  wall  in 
Tom  Quad.  Though  some  portions  are  still  wanting,  it  is 
not  impossible  that  more  may  yet  be  found. 

"  As  the  monument  stands  now,  it  cannot,  of  course,  im- 
press one  as  it  would  have  done  in  its  perfect  state,  with 
the  rich  superstructure  crowning  it:  especially  as  the  re- 
stored shafts  are  merely  square  stone  supports  of  the 
clumsiest  description,  so  studiously  careful  has  the  restorer 
been  not  to  confuse  them  with  the  original  work.  Still, 
though  the  base  of  St.  Frideswide's  shrine  is  only  a  col- 
lection of  fragments,  these  fragments  are  of  remarkable 
beauty  and  interest.  It  is  of  Forest  marble,  measuring 
seven  feet  by  three  and  a  half;  and  consists  of  an  arcade 
of  two  richly  cusped  arches  at  the  sides  and  one  at  each 
end.  On  the  top  of  this  was  fixed  the  feretrum,  contain- 
ing the  jewelled  casket  that  held  the  relics  themselves. 
The  spandrels  are  filled  with  wonderfully  carved  foliage, 
unusually  naturalistic,  and  preserving  still  the  traces  of 
colour  and  gilding  to  remind  one  of  its  former  glories. 
On  the  south  side  there  is  maple  in  the  central  spandrel, 
with  a  wreath  of  what  is  probably  crow's-foot  in  a  boss 
below :  the  two  side  spandrels  contain  columbine  and  the 
greater  celandine.  On  the  north  side  the  foliage  is  mostly 


386  OXFORD 

oak,  with  acorns  and  numerous  empty  cups;  sycamore  and 
ivy  filling  the  adjoining  spandrels.  At  the  east  end  one  of 
the  spandrels  contains  vine  leaves  and  grapes,  the  other 
fig-leaves,  but  without  the  fruit;  the  cusp  under  the  vine 
has  a  leaf  which  may  be  that  of  hog-leaf.  At  the  west 
end  there  is  hawthorn  and  bryony.  The  choice  of  all  this 
foliage  was  doubtless  made  for  symbolical  reasons,  refer- 
ring first  to  St.  Frideswide's  life  in  the  oak  woods  near 
Abingdon,  and  next  to  her  care  for  the  sick  and  suffering 
at  Thornberrie  (now  Binsey).  And  in  this  connection  it  is 
pleasant  to  think  that  the  sculptor,  with  tender  fancy,  chose 
plants  which  were  famous  for  their  healing  virtue." — 
(P.  D.) 

The  Lady-Chapel  (Thirteenth  Century  and  Early 
English)  is  sometimes  called  the  Dormitory,  because 
many  canons  are  buried  here.  Characteristic  curling 
foliage  decorates  the  capitals.  The  shafts  are  fil- 
leted. Traces  of  colouring  can  be  observed  here  and 
there  and  also  figures  of  angels  on  the  roof.  The 
Decorated  window  (restored)  at  the  east  end  con- 
tains glass  designed  by  Burne- Jones  and  made  by 
William  Morris,  a  memorial  to  Frederick  Vyner, 
murdered  by  brigands  at  Marathon  in  1870. 

The  figures  represent  Samuel  the  Prophet,  David, 
King  of  Israel,  John  the  Evangelist,  and  Timothy 
the  Bishop.  In  the  panels  beneath  are,  Eli  instruct- 
ing the  young  Samuel,  David  slaying  Goliath,  St. 
John  at  the  Last  Supper,  and  Timothy  as  a  little 
boy  learning  from  his  mother. 

Here  also  is  the  tomb  of  Elizabeth  Lady  Monta- 
cute,  who  gave  Christ  Church  Meadow  to  the 
Priory  for  the  support  of  two  priests  for  her  chan- 
try in  this  Lady-Chapel.  Her  effigy  lies  on  the  top 
of  the  tomb,  and  portraits  of  her  children  appear 
in  the  panels  below.  The  whole  was  originally 
brilliantly  coloured. 

Four  arches  divide  the  Lady-Chapel.    Under  the 


•OXFORD  387 

easternmost   one   is   a   large   tomb   known   as   the 
Watching  Chamber. 

"  Its  real  nature  is  still  a  matter  of  dispute :  some  main- 
taining it  to  have  been  used  as  a  chantry  chapel  for  the 
welfare  of  those  who  were  buried  below ;  others,  that  it 
served  as  a  '  watching  chamber '  to  protect  the  gold  and 
jewels  which  hung  about  the  shrine  of  St.  Frideswide. 

"  Most  elaborately  carved  and  crocketed,  the  '  watching 
chamber '  is  a  beautiful  example  of  full-blown  Perpendicu- 
lar workmanship ;  '  most  lovely  English  work,  both  of 
heart  and  hand,'  according  to  Mr.  Ruskin.  It  consists  of 
four  stones,  the  two  lower,  in  stone,  forming  an  altar 
tomb  and  canopy,  and  the  two  upper  in  wood.  A  door 
from  the  Latin  Chapel  leads  one  up  a  small  and  well- 
worn  stone  staircase  into  the  interior  of  the  little  upper 
chapel,  which  is  now  a  rough  wooden  room.  Its  extreme 
roughness  suggests  that  it  was  once  panelled  and  other- 
wise adorned,  while  there  are  marks  at  its  east  end,  which 
may  be  the  site  of  an  altar,  or  of  the  feretrum  itself." — 
(P.  D.) 

Lastly  we  come  to  the  Latin-Chapel  also  called 
St.  Catherine's,  in  honour  of  the  patron  of  students 
of  theology. 

"  The  Decorated  vaulting  was  built  when  the  chapel  was 
enlarged  in  the  Fourteenth  Century.  The  foliage  of  its 
bosses  is  very  beautiful;  the  water-lilies  especially  of  the 
third  boss,  so  suggestive  of  Oxford  streams,  and  the 
roses  a  little  further  east,  are  a  happy  combination  of 
naturalistic  treatment  with  decorative  restraint.  It  will  be 
noticed  that  the  vaulting  does  not  run  true  in  the  third 
bay,  the  Decorated  work  there  having  been  somewhat  awk- 
wardly joined  to  the  Early  English  of  the  second  bay. 

"  A  prominent  feature  in  the  Latin-Chapel  is  the  old  oak 
stalling,  which  a  second  inspection  proves  to  be  patchwork. 
The  returned  stalls  at  the  west  end  probably  belonged  to 
the  choir  of  the  conventual  church,  and  in  that  case  would 
have  been  fitted  in  here  when  Dean  Duppa  *  adorned '  the 
choir  by  destroying  the  old  wood-work.  Near  to  these  is 
some  of  the  work  prepared  for  Cardinal  Wolsey's  new 


388  OXFORD- 

chapel.  The  poppy-heads  are  good  specimens  of  wood- 
carving,  and  contain  a  monogram  I.H.S.,  a  heart  in  a  crown 
of  thorns,  a  cardinal's  hat,  and  other  devices.  The  pulpit, 
with  its  delicate  canopy,  an  excellent  specimen  of  Seven- 
teenth Century  wood-work,  was  formerly  the  Vice-Chan- 
cellor's seat  in  another  part  of  the  church,  occupied  by 
him  during  university  sermons.  It  was  then  used  by  the 
Regius  Professor  of  Divinity  for  his  lectures,  but  since 
the  altar  was  restored  six  years  ago,  the  chapel  has  been 
no  longer  used  as  a  lecture-room." — (P.  D.) 

Here  we  find  some  of  the  best  glass  in  the  Cathe- 
dral. At  the  east  end  is  the  famous  St.  Frideswide 
window  by  Burne- Jones ;  and  the  three  windows  on 
the  north  are  beautiful  specimens  of  the  Fourteenth 
Century,  replaced  here  by  Dean  Liddell.  In  the 
middle  of  each  light  is  a  figure  and  the  rest  of  the 
space  is  covered  with  the  diamond-shaped  pieces  of 
glass  bearing  leaves  and  flowers,  technically  called 
"  quarries."  Medallions  and  borders  with  various 
beasts — even  monkeys — decorate  the  spaces  in  the 
tracery.  The  first  window  depicts  St.  Catherine,  a 
Virgin  and  Child,  and  next  a  figure,  probably  St. 
Frideswide ;  the  second  window  represents  an  arch- 
bishop and  angels ;  and  the  third,  St.  Frideswide 
with  St.  Margaret  on  one  side  and  St.  Catherine  on 
the  other.  It  is  very  interesting  to  compare  these 
with  the  Burne- Jones's  St.  Frideswide  at  the  east 
end: 

"  Though  this  is  one  of  the  first  windows  that  Burne- 
Jones  ever  designed  it  is  one  of  his  best.  Better  suited 
(as  many  think)  to  the  purpose  of  a  window,  at  all  events 
in  this  enclosed  chapel,  than  the  freer  method  of  the 
other  glass,  it  carries  on  the  best  traditions  of  the  craft, 
in  its  infinite  variety  of  gem-like  colour  and  complexity  of 
detail;  while  it  attains  a  degree  of  perfection  in  pictorial 
effect  and  figure-drawing  which  was  impossible  during 
the  great  era  of  mediaeval  glass-painting.  The  death  of 


OXFORD  389 

the  saint,  with  its  lovely  effect  of  light  through  the  latticed 
window,  for  instance,  and  the  picture  of  her  in  the  pig-sty, 
would  be  perfect  as  finished  pictures,  and  yet  do  not  for 
an  instant  outstep  the  convention  which  is  necessary  for 
their  function  as  part  of  a  window. 

"  The  colour  is,  in  spite  (or  rather  because)  of  its  radi- 
ant variety,  not  so  immediately*  attractive  to  every  one  as 
that  of  the  other  Burne-Jones  windows ;  but  when  one  has 
sat  down  for  five  or  ten  minutes  and  deciphered  the  various 
scenes,  its  unapproachable  beauty  becomes  apparent,  and 
each  succeeding  visit  deepens  the  impression  of  the  splen- 
dour and  poetry  of  this  incomparable  work. 

"  The  scenes  depicted  are,  by  the  artist's  own  account, 
as  follows: — 

"First  Light:  St.  Frideswide  and  her  companions 
brought  up  by  St.  Cecilia  and  St.  Catherine ;  St.  Frideswide 
founds  her  first  convent;  A  messenger  from  the  King  of 
Mercia  demands  her  in  marriage ;  The  King  conies  to  take 
her  by  force,  and  the  first  convent  is  broken  up. 

"Second  Light:  Flight  of  St.  Frideswide  to  Abingdon; 
The  King  of  Mercia  and  his  soldiers  in  pursuit;  The 
Flight  continued ;  The  Pursuit  continued ;  St.  Frideswide 
takes  refuge  in  a  pig-sty. 

"  Third  Light:  Flight  of  St.  Frideswide  to  Binsey ;  The 
King  of  Mercia  in  pursuit;  St.  Frideswide  founds  a  new 
convent  at  Binsey;  Her  merciful  deeds. 

"Fourth  Light:  Return  of  St.  Frideswide  to  Oxford; 
The  Siege  of  Oxford  by  the  King  of  Mercia;  The  Siege 
continued;  The  King  struck  blind;  The  Death  of  St. 
Frideswide. 

"  In  the  tracery  above  are  the  trees  of  life  and  of  knowl- 
edge, and  a  ship  of  souls  convoyed  by  angels." — (P.  D.) 

Passing  into  the  north  transept  we  note  that  the 
eastern  aisle  has  been  merged  into  the  Lady-Chapel 
and  Latin-Chapel  of  which  it  forms  the  western 
bays ;  but  that  the  western  aisle  remains. 

The  north  window  (modern  glass)  was  restored 
back  to  its  original  design  by  Sir  Gilbert  Scott. 
Beneath  it  is  a  panelled  tomb  of  Henry  VII.'s 
period.  It  is  supposed  to  be  that  of  a  monk  named 


390  OXFORD 

Zouch  (died  1503),  probably  a  scribe,  because  his 
ink-horn  and  pen-case  appear  on  the  shields  of  his 
tomb.  He  left  a  bequest  to  pay  for  the  vaulting. 

The  Tower  is  not  perfectly  square.  The  nave 
and  choir  sides  are  wider  than  those  of  the  tran- 
septs, and  therefore  trie  north  and  south  arches 
are  pointed  and  the  east  and  west  arches  are  round. 
Foliage  decorates  the  capitals  of  the  shafts.  The 
lantern  is  open  and  is  ornamented  with  arcades  and 
arches.  At  the  south-east  pier  the  break  in  the 
masonry  indicates,  in  the  opinion  of  some  students, 
the  place  where  the  builders  stopped  work  when 
Sweyn  drove  Ethelred  out  of  England. 

The  fine  Jacobean  Pulpit  (1635),  elaborately 
carved  with  grotesques  on  the  panels,  deserves  at 
least  a  passing  glance. 

The  south  transept  has  no  aisles,  for  the  western 
aisle  was  cut  off  by  the  cloisters  and  the  eastern 
aisle  became  St.  Lucy's  Chapel,  in  the  second  bay. 
Though  there  are  many  old  royalist  tombs  the  chief 
interest  here  is  the  beautiful  Window  of  three 
lights,  the  Flamboyant  tracery  of  which  frames  the 
most  splendid  glass  in  the  whole  cathedral.  It  dates 
from  about  1330. 

"  In  the  uppermost  compartment  of  the  tracery  is  a 
figure  of  our  Lord  seated  in  glory;  below  there  are  angels 
with  censers,  and  next  two  Augustinian  monks  in  blue  and 
white  robes,  kneeling  with  outstretched  arms ;  then  come 
coats-of-arms,  and  various  grotesque  beasts,  all  most  richly 
coloured  in  ruby  and  blue  and  green  and  gold.  Below,  in 
the  principal  spaces,  are  (i)  St.  Martin  on  horseback  giv- 
ing his  coat  to  the  beggar;  (2)  the  martyrdom  of  St. 
Thomas  a  Becket:  St.  Thomas'  head  has  been  knocked 
out  by  some  fanatic,  and  replaced  with  white  glass ;  the  ar- 
mour and  shields  of  the  knights  should  be  noticed;  (3)  St. 
Augustine,  who  holds  a  pastoral  staff,  is  teaching  his  monks 
and  others.  In  the  next  four  spaces  are: — The  head  of  a 


OXFORD  391 

king;  St.  Cuthbert,  carrying  the  head  of  St.  Oswald,  and 
wearing  a  green  chasuble;  St.  Blaise,  in  a  mulberry- 
coloured  chasuble;  the  head  of  a  queen.  The  glass  in  the 
three  main  lights  was  destroyed,  and  then  replaced  by  some 
of  Seventeenth  Century  work,  but  this  too  is  now  gone,  all 
except  a  portion  of  the  upper  part  which  shows  that  the 
design  was  architectural  in  character  and  the  colour  that 
of  fog-smitten  stone-work." — (P.  D.) 

The  South- Choir- Aisle  is  of  earlier  date  than  the 
nave  and  transept  aisles.  Scott  rebuilt  the  southern 
windows  in  the  Norman  style.  Heads  of  men  and 
monkeys  decorate  the  corbels  that  support  the  vault. 
The  original  half-flower  moulding  adorns  the  Deco- 
rated east  window  (restored)  which  contains  one 
of  Burne-Jones's  famous  designs.  It  is  a  memorial 
to  Edith  Liddell  (1876),  whose  portrait  appears  in 
the  central  figure  as  St.  Catherine.  In  the  tracery 
above  angels  are  playing  musical  instruments  and 
in  the  panels  below  are  scenes  from  the  life  and 
death  of  St.  Catherine. 

The  third  window  in  the  wall  near  St.  Lucy's 
Chapel  is  of  great  interest.  It  is  the  only  one  of  the 
original  Romanesque  windows  that  remains.  The 
old  glass  shows  a  portrait  of  Bishop  King,  Abbot 
of  Oseney  and  first  Bishop  of  Oxford.  He  died 
in  1557  and  was  buried  in  Christ  Church  Cathedral. 

"  This  window,  with  some  others,  was  taken  down  during 
the  Civil  War,  buried  for  safety  by  a  member  of  the  family, 
and  put  up  again  at  the  Restoration.  The  Bishop  is  repre- 
sented standing  vested  in  a  jewelled  cope  of  cloth  of  gold, 
and  mitre,  a  pastoral  staff  in  his  gloved  hand.  In  the 
background,  among  the  trees,  is  a  picture  of  Oseney  Abbey 
in  its  already  ruined  condition  (c.  1630),  drawn  without 
much  feeling  for  its  architecture,  but  of  great  value  as 
almost  the  only  picture  of  the  place  we  possess.  The  west- 
ern tower  was  the  first  home  of  what  are  now  the  Christ 
Church  bells.  Three  coats-of-arms  (being  those  of  the 


392  OXFORD 

Bishop,  impaled  with  the  Abbey  of  Oseney  and  the  See 
of  Oxford)  complete  the  richness  of  what  is  a  very  good 
example  of  Seventeenth  Century  painted  glass,  in  the  strict 
sense  of  the  word." — (P.  D.) 

South  of  the  South  Transept  the  slype,  a  vaulted 
passage  including  part  of  the  transept,  leads  into 
the  Cloisters. 

South  of  the  slype  lies  the  Chapter-House,  de- 
serving a  visit  because  it  is  a  fine  example  of  Early 
English.  The  monks'  heads  carved  on  the  corbels, 
the  bosses  of  the  roof,  and  the  arcade  of  five  arches 
at  the  east  end  are  the  chief  features  of  the  in- 
terior. 


U 

g 

H 


Q 

2 

g 

X 

O 


ST.  PAUL'S:  WEST  FRONT 


ST.  PAUL'S,  LONDON 

DEDICATION:   ST.  PAUL.    A  CHURCH  FORMERLY  SERVED  BY 

SECULAR  CANONS. 
SPECIAL    FEATURES  :    DOME  ;    CHOIR    STALLS  ;    TOMBS    AND 

MONUMENTS. 

THE  present  building  in  the  Renaissance  style  is 
the  third  Christian  church  erected  on  this  site.  It  is 
said  that  a  Roman  temple  to  Diana  stood  here ;  but 
the  earliest  church  of  which  records  exist  was 
erected  by  Ethelbert,  King  of  Kent,  in  610,  in  which 
he  was  assisted  by  Siebert,  King  of  the  East  Saxons, 
his  nephew,  who  founded  the  monastery  of  St. 
Peter,  called  Westminster,  on  Thorney  Island.  This 
Cathedral,  which  owed  much  of  its  prosperity  to 
St.  Erkenwald,  fourth  Bishop  of  London,  to  whose 
memory  a  golden  shrine  was  erected  here,  suffered 
from  fire  in  961  and  was  completely  destroyed  in 
1086.  On  the  ruins  a  Norman  church  was  imme- 
diately erected,  the  architect  for  which  was  Bishop 
Maurice.  Though  injured  by  fire  in  1193  it  was 
a  stately  and  beautiful  building,  in  the  Norman 
style.  It  was  cruciform,  with  two  western  towers 
for  bells  and  a  high  tower  in  the  centre  with  a 
spire.  In  addition  to  the  high  altar  there  were 
seventy  or  eighty  chantries  with  their  own  altars, 
and  behind  the  high  altar  the  golden  shrine  con- 
taining the  body  of  St.  Erkenwald.  The  nave  con- 
tained twelve  bays  and  also  the'choir  rebuilt  in  1221. 
The  Lady-Chapel  was  added  in  1225.  It  was  the 
largest  Cathedral  in  England.  St.  Paul's  was  rich 
in  relics  and  in  treasure  of  all  kinds — pictures  and 
393 


394  ST.  PAUL'S,  LONDON 

frescoes,  vestments,  gold,  silver  and  jewels.  In 
1312  the  nave  was  paved  with  marble  and  in  1315 
a  new  wooden  spire  460  feet  high  was  added. 

This  great  Cathedral  became  the  very  centre  of 
the  life  of  the  citizens.  Here  men  met  to  defend 
their  liberties,  summoned  by  the  great  bells  of  St. 
Paul's,  from  the  days  of  King  Stephen  until  the 
magnificent  Cathedral  perished  in  the  Great  Fire. 

"  Again  and  again  the  tocsin  sounded,  as  St.  Paul's  bell 
rang  clear  and  loud,  and  the  -citizens  seized  their  weapons 
and  formed  their  battalions  beneath  the  shadow  of  the 
great  church.  Now  it  was  to  help  Simon  de  Montfort 
against  the  King;  now  to  seize  the  person  of  the  ob- 
noxious Queen  Eleanor,  who  was  trying  to  escape  by  water 
from  the  Tower  to  Windsor,  and  who  was  rescued  from 
their  hands  by  the  Bishop  of  London,  and  found  refuge  in 
his  palace.  Now  the  favourites  of  Edward  II.  excited  their 
rage,  especially  the  Bishop  of  Exeter,  the  King's  regent, 
who  dared  to  ask  the  Lord  Mayor  for  the  keys  of  the  city 
and  paid  for  his  temerity  with  his  life.* 

"The  chronicles  of  the  Cathedral  tell  the  story  of  the 
troublous  times  of  the  Wars  of  the  Roses.  We  see  Henry 
IV.  pretending  bitter  sorrow  for  the  death  of  the  mur- 
dered Richard,  and  covering  with  cloth-of-gold  the  body, 
which  had  been  exhibited  to  the  people  in  St.  Paul's.  We 
see  Henry  V.  returning  in  triumph  from  the  French  wars, 
riding  in  state  to  the  Cathedral  attended  by  'the  mayor 
and  brethren  of  the  City  companies,  wearing  red  gowns 
with  hoods  of  red  and  white,  well-mounted  and  gorgeously 
horsed  with  rich  collars  and  great  chains,  rejoicing  at  his 
victorious  return.'  Then  came  Henry  VI.  attended  by 
bishops,  the  dean  and  canons,  to  make  his  offering  at  the 
altar.  Here  the  false  Duke  of  York  took  his  oath  on  the 
Blessed  Sacrament  to  be  loyal  to  the  King.  Here  the 
rival  houses  swore  to  lay  aside  their  differences,  and  to 
live  at  peace.  But  a  few  years  later  saw  the  new  King 
Edward  IV.,  at  St.  Paul's,  attended  by  great  Warwick,  the 
king-maker,  with  his  body-guard  of  800  men-at-arms. 
Strange  were  the  changes  of  fortune  in  those  days.  Soon 

*See  pp.  99,  101. 


ST.  PAUL'S,  LONDON  395 

St.  Paul's  saw  the  exhibition  of  the  dead  body  of  the  king- 
maker, and  not  long  afterwards  that  of  the  poor  dethroned 
Henry,  and  Richard  came  in  state  here  amid  the  shouts  of 
the  populace.  After  the  defeat  of  the  conspiracy  of 
Lambert  Simnel,  Henry  VII.  celebrated  a  joyous  thanks- 
giving in  the  Cathedral,  and  here,  amid  much  rejoicing, 
the  youthful  marriage  of  Prince  Arthur  with  Katherine 
of  Aragon  took  place,  when  the  conduits  of  Cheapside  and 
on  the  west  of  the  Cathedral  ran  with  wine,  and  the  bells 
rang  joyfully,  and  all  wished  happiness  to  the  Royal  chil- 
dren whose  wedded  life  was  destined  to  be  so  brief. 

"  St.  Paul's  became  the  gathering-place  for  lords  and 
courtiers  and  professional  people,  who  met  every  day  from 
eleven  till  twelve  and  from  three  till  six  to  discuss  the 
news  of  the  day  and  to  transact  business. 

"  Here  lawyers  received  their  clients ;  here  men  sought 
service;  here  usurers  met  their  victims,  and  the  tombs  and 
font  were  mightily  convenient  for  counters  for  the  ex- 
change of  money  and  the  transaction  of  bargains,  and 
the  rattle  of  gold  and  silver  was  constantly  heard  amidst 
the  loud  talking  of  the  crowd.  Gallants  enter  the  Cathe- 
dral wearing  spurs,  having  just  left  their  steeds  at  The 
Bell  and  Savage  and  are  immediately  besieged  by  the 
choristers,  who  have  the  right  of  demanding  spur  money 
from  any  one  entering  the  building  wearing  spurs.  Nor 
are  the  fair  sex  absent,  and  Paul's  Walk  was  used  as  a 
convenient  place  for  assignations.  Old  plays  are  full  of 
references  to  this  practice.  Later  on  the  nave  was  nothing 
but  a  public  thoroughfare,  where  men  tramped,  carrying 
baskets  of  bread  and  fish,  flesh  and  fruit,  vessels  of  ale, 
sacks  of  coal,  and  even  dead  mules  and  horses  and  other 
beasts.  Hucksters  and  peddlers  sold  their  wares.  Duke 
Humphrey's  tomb  was  the  great  meeting-place  of  all  beg- 
gars and  low  rascals,  and  they  euphemistically  called  their 
gathering  '  a  dining  with  Duke  Humphrey/  Much  more 
could  be  written  of  this  assembly  of  all  sorts  and  condi- 
tions of  men,  but  we  have  said  enough  to  show  that  the 
Cathedral  had  suffered  greatly  from  desecration  and  abuse. 
Indeed  an  old  writer  in  1561  declared  that  the  burning  of 
the  steeple  in  that  year  was  a  judgment  for  the  scenes  of 
profanation  which  were  daily  witnessed  in  old  St.  Paul's." 
—(P.  H.  D.) 


396  ST.  PAUL'S,  LONDON 

Cromwell's  army  demolished  shrines  and  de- 
stroyed all  the  relics  and  works  of  art,  and  seam- 
stresses and  hucksters  took  up  their  abode  in  the 
western  portico,  built  by  Charles  I.  after  designs 
by  Inigo  Jones.  At  the  Restoration  plans  to  repair 
and  restore  the  Cathedral  were  being  made  by 
Wren  when  the  Great  Fire  destroyed  it.  Wren  had 
the  task  of  rebuilding  it,  and  produced  a  master- 
piece that  takes  rank  with  St.  Peter's  in  Rome  and 
even  surpasses  it  in  some  of  its  details. 

"  The  stones  of  Paul's,"  wrote  Evelyn,  "  flew 
like  granados,  the  melting  lead  running  down  the 
streets  in  a  stream  and  the  very  pavements  glowing 
with  fiery  redness,  so  as  no  horse  or  man  was  able 
to  tread  on  them,  and  the  demolition  had  stopped 
all  the  passages,  so  that  no  help  could  be  applied." 

It  took  a  long  time  to  remove  the  ruins  and  to 
decide  upon  the  plan  for  the  successor  of  Old  St. 
Paul's.  Wren  made  numerous  designs  and  draw- 
ings and  there  was  great  delay.  At  length  the 
royal  warrant  was  obtained  and  the  first  stone  was 
laid  June  21,  1675,  at  the  south-east  corner  of  the 
choir.  The  Cathedral  was  building  for  thirty-five 
years.  The  choir  was  finished  and  service  held  in  it 
on  December  2,  1697.  It  is  sad  to  remember  that 
the  great  architect  was  a  victim  of  jealousy  and 
intrigue,  and  pleasant  to  know  that  he  lived  to  see 
the  glorious  church  that  had  taken  form  in  his 
mind  completed.  It  was  finished  in  1710. 

"Was  there  ever  known  in  the  history  of  the  world  any 
cathedral  which  suffered  from  fire  like  St.  Paul's?  The 
whole  career  of  the  church  was  an  ordeal  by  fire.  It  was 
injured  by  fire  a  hundred  years  before  Westminster  Hall 
was  built;  it  was  totally  destroyed  by  fire  in  the  Eleventh 
Century  and  it  took  nearly  two  centuries  to  restore  it  to 


ST.  PAUL'S,  LONDON  397 

anything  like  its  former  magnificence.  '  Away !  we  lose 
ourselves  in  light/  might  have  been  its  motto,  for  it  was 
all  but  completely  destroyed  by  fire  in  the  Fifteenth  Cen- 
tury, and  its  spire,  which  was  then  claimed  to  be  the 
highest  in  the  world,  was  destroyed  by  fire  a  century  later. 
Thus  we  have  brought  it  to  the  terrible  days  of  1666,  when 
it  went  under  with  so  much  of  London  to  accompany  it — 
one  of  the  most  tremendous  conflagrations  recorded  in  the 
history  of  great  cities.  Then  came  the  Commission  to  re- 
build it,  of  which  brave  John  Evelyn  was  a  member,  and 
then  Sir  Christopher  Wren  raised  the  monument  to  his 
fame  which  those  who  would  question  his  renown  have 
only  to  look  upon  and  be  satisfied." — (J.  McC.) 

Coming  along  from  Ludgate  Hill  we  gain  a 
splendid  view  of  the  impressive  Dome  emerging 
through  the  mists  in  the  very  heart  of  the  City. 

"  St.  Paul's  is  often  called  Classical,  or  Roman,  or 
Italian ;  it  is  not  one  of  these  three :  it  is  English  Renais- 
sance. It  was,  too,  a  distinctly  happy  thought  of  Fergusson 
to  suggest  that  the  Cathedral  takes  a  like  place  in  Eng- 
lish architecture  to  that  which  the  immortal  '  Paradise 
Lost '  does  in  English  literature.  The  plan  is  that  of  a 
mediaeval  church ;  the  pilasters  and  entablature  are  Roman ; 
the  round  arch  is  found  in  both  Roman  and  Romanesque, 
and  that  commanding  feature,  the  Dome,  is  the  common 
property  of  many  styles  and  many  ages.  The  general  plan 
resembles  the  long  or  Latin  Cross,  with  transepts  of 
greater  breadth  than  length;  and  the  uniformity  is  broken 
by  an  apse  at  the  east,  and  the  two  chapels  at  the  west 
end."— (A.  D.) 

Before  we  begin  our  tour  of  the  Cathedral  let 
us  take  a  little  note  of  our  surroundings. 

"  In  olden  times  St.  Paul's  Churchyard  was  one  of  the 
great  business  centres  of  London.  About  the  church  men 
met  to  discuss  the  doings  of  the  day,  the  last  piece  of  news 
from  Flanders,  France  or  Spain,  or  the  rumours  from  the 
country.  Here  the  citizens  gathered  angrily  when  there 
was  any  talk  of  an  invasion  of  their  cherished  liberties, 


398  ST.  PAUL'S,  LONDON 

grumbled  over  the  benevolence  demanded  by  his  Majesty 
for  the  pay  of  the  troops  engaged  in  the  French  war,  or 
jeered  at  some  poor  wretch  nailed  by  his  ears  in  the 
pillory.  Here  the  heralds  would  proclaim  the  news  of  our 
victories  by  sea  and  land;  here  the  public  newsmen  would 
read  out  their  budgets ;  vendors  of  infallible  nostrums 
would  wax  eloquent  as  to  the  virtues  of  their  wares;  and 
the  wives  and  daughters  of  the  citizens  would  gather  to 
gossip  and  flirt.  It  was  at  once  the  exchange,  the  club, 
and  the  meeting-place  of  London.  Paul's  Cross  was  the 
heart  of  the  City;  here  men  threw  up  their  bonnets  when 
they  heard  of  Crecy  and  of  Agincourt;  here  they  listened 
to  the  preachings  of  the  first  followers  of  Wycliffe;  here 
they  erected  their  choicest  pageants  when  a  new  sovereign 
visited  the  City  for  the  first  time,  or  brought  his  new- 
made  spouse  to  show  her  to  his  lieges;  and  gathered  with 
frowning  brows  beneath  iron  caps  when  London  threw 
in  its  lot  with  the  Parliament,  and  the  train  bands  marched 
off  to  fight  the  King's  forces.  The  business  mart  of  the 
City  lies  now  in  front  of  the  Mansion  House,  but  a  great 
deal  of  business  is  still  done  under  the  shadow  of  the 
Cathedral."— (C.  D.) 

All  the  streets  bear  names  that  remind  us  of  the 
vicinity  of  St.  Paul's — Creed  Lane,  Ave  Maria  Lane, 
Sermon  Lane,  Canon  Alley,  Amen  Corner  and  Pa- 
ternoster Row  known  throughout  the  world  as  the 
headquarters  of  the  book  trade  and  publishers,  while 
Cheapside,  Ludgate  Hill,  Fleet  Street  and  St.  Paul's 
Churchyard  swarm  with  ghosts  and  memories  of 
London's  stirring  events. 

"The  modern  passenger  through  St.  Paul's  Churchyard 
has  not  only  the  last  home  of  Nelson  and  others  to  ven- 
erate as  he  goes  by.  In  the  ground  of  the  old  church 
were  buried,  and  here  therefore  remains  whatever  dust 
may  survive  them,  the  gallant  Sir  Philip  Sidney  (the 
beau  ideal  of  the  age  of  Elizabeth),  and  Vandyke,  who 
immortalised  the  youth  and  beauty  of  the  court  of  Charles 
the  First.  One  of  Elizabeth's  great  statesmen  also  lay 
there — Walsingham — who  died  so.  poor  that  he  was  buried 


ST.  PAUL'S,  LONDON  399 

by  stealth  to  prevent  his  body  from  being  arrested.  An- 
other, Sir  Christopher  Hatton,  who  is  supposed  to  have 
danced  himself  into  the  office  of  Her  Majesty's  Chan- 
cellor, had  a  tomb  whiqh  his  contemporaries  thought  too 
magnificent,  and  which  was  accused  of  *  shouldering  the 
altar.' 

"  Old  St.  Paul's  was  much  larger  than  now,  and  the 
Churchyard  was  of  proportionate  dimensions.  The  wall 
by  which  it  was  bounded  ran  along  by  the  present  streets 
of  Ave  Maria  Lane,  Paternoster  Row,  Old  Change,  Carter 
Lane  and  Creed  Lane;  and  therefore  included  a  large 
space  and  many  buildings  which  are  not  now  considered 
to  be  within  the  precincts  of  the  Cathedral.  This  spacious 
area  had  grass  inside,  and  contained  a  variety  of  ap- 
pendages to  the  establishment.  One  of  these  was  the 
cross  of  which  Stow  did  not  know  the  antiquity.  It  was 
called  Paul's  Cross,  and  stood  on  the  north  side  of  the 
church,  a  little  to  the  east  of  the  entrance  of  Cannon 
Alley."— (L.  H.) 

At  first  the  space  around  it  was  used  for  the 
meeting  of  the  populace — the  Folkmote — when 
their  magistrates  were  elected,  public  affairs  dis- 
cussed and  criminals  tried  and  sentenced.-  At  a 
later  period  Paul's  Cross  was  chiefly  used  for  proc- 
lamations, and  from  the  pulpit,  which  in  Stow's 
time  was  an  hexagonal  piece  of  wood  "  covered 
with  lead,  elevated  upon  a  flight  of  stone  steps 
and  surmounted  by  a  large  cross/'  sermons  were 
preached. 

In  1879  the  foundations  of  Paul's  Cross  were 
discovered  on  the  north-east  side  of  the  present 
Choir.  A  monument  is  now  being  erected  on  the 
spot 

If  we  wish  to  examine  the  north  and  south  fronts 
more  particularly  we  first  go  to  the  former  and 

"We  note  the  two-storied  constructions,  the  graceful 
Corinthian  pillars,  arranged  in  pairs,  with  round-headed 


400  ST.  PAUL'S,  LONDON 

windows  between  them;  the  entablature;  and  then,  in  the 
second  story,  another  row  of  beautiful  pilasters  of  the 
Composite  order.  Between  these  are  niches  where  one 
would  have  expected  windows ;  but  this  story  is  simply  a 
screen  to  hide  the  flying-buttresses  supporting  the  clere- 
story, as  Wren  thought  them  a  disfigurement.  The  walls 
are  finished  with  a  cornice,  which  Wren  was  compelled 
by  hostile  critics  to  add,  much  against  his  own  judg- 
ment. There  are  some  excellently  carved  festoons  of 
foliage  and  birds  and  cherubs,  which  are  well  worthy  of 
close  observation.  The  North  and  South  Fronts  have 
Corinthian  pillars,  which  support  a  semicircular  entab- 
lature. Figures  of  the  Apostles  adorn  the  triangular- 
shaped  heads  and  balustrade.  The  Royal  Arms  appear  on 
the  north  side,  and  a  Phoenix  is  the  suitable  ornament  on 
the  south,  signifying  the  resurrection  of  the  building  from 
its  ashes.  The  south  side  is  almost  similar  to  the  north. 
The  east  end  has  an  apse."— (P.  H.  D.) 

On  the  south-west  is  the  Dean's  yard,  leading 
past  the  Deanery  to  the  Choir  House  in  Great  Car- 
ter Lane  where  the  choir-boys  are  trained.  Doc- 
tors' Commons,  where  marriage  licenses  used  to  be 
issued,  only  survives  in  name. 

Opposite  the  north  porch  of  the  Cathedral  is  the 
Chapter-House  and  from  this  side  St.  Paul's  Bridge, 
the  plan  for  which  was  adopted  in  1909,  will  start. 
It  will  cost  no  less  than  £1,600,000,  and  will  cross 
the  Thames  between  Blackfriars  and  Southwark. 

Facing  Ludgate  Hill  stands  a  statue  of  Queen 
Anne,  a  modern  replica  of  the  original  statue  by 
Bird.  At  the  foot  of  the  22  marble  steps  leading 
up  to  the  doorway  is  a  marble  slab  commemorating 
the  Diamond  Jubilee  Thanksgiving  (June  22,  1897). 
From  time  immemorial  national  thanksgiving  ser- 
vices have  been  offered  at  St.  Paul's.  The  first  in 
this  building  was  a  special  thanksgiving  for  the 
Peace  of  Ryswick.  Queen  Anne  returned  thanks 


ST.  PAUL'S,  LONDON  401 

for  Marlborough's  victories  in  the  Low  Countries 
and  the  destruction  of  the  Spanish  fleet  at  Vigo 
and  for  the  victory  of  Blenheim  (1702  and  1704). 
Here  thanks  were  also  offered  for  the  recovery 
of  the  Prince  of  Wales  (Edward  VII.)  from  a  seri- 
ous illness  in  1872  and  by  Queen  Victoria  for  the 
sixtieth  anniversary  of  her  reign  (1897)  ;  by  King 
Edward  and  Queen  Alexandra  for  the  restoration 
of  peace  in  South  Africa  (June  8,  1902)  ;  by  King 
Edward  on  October  18,  1902,  for  his  recovery  from 
the  illness  that  delayed  the  Coronation ;  and  by  King 
George  and  Queen  Mary. 

"  The  WEST  FRONT  has  a  magnificent  portico,  divided, 
like  the  rest  of  the  building,  into  two  stories.  The  lower 
consists  of  twelve  coupled  and  fluted  columns ;  that,  above, 
has  only  eight,  which  bear  an  entablature  and  pediment 
of  which  the  tympanum  is  sculptured  in  bas-relief,  repre 
senting  the  conversion  of  St.  Paul.  On  the  apex  of  the 
pediment  is  a  figure  of  the  Saint  himself,  and  at  its  ex- 
tremities, on  the  right  and  left  of  St.  Paul,  are  figures 
of  St.  Peter  and  St.  James.  The  transepts  are  terminated 
upwards  by  pediments,  over  coupled  pilasters  at  the  quoins, 
and  two  single  pilasters  in  the  intermediate  space.  On 
each  side  of  the  western  portico  a  square  pedestal  rises 
over  the  upper  order,  and  on  each  pedestal  a  steeple,  or 
campanile  tower,  supported  upon  triangular  groups  of 
Corinthian  columns  finishing  in  small  domes  formed  by 
curves  of  contrary  flexure  very  like  bells.  Lower  down  in 
front  of  these  campaniles,  the  Four  Evangelists  are  repre- 
sented with  their  emblems.  In  the  face  of  the  southern 
campanile  a  clock  is  inserted.  A  flight  of  steps  extending 
the  whole  length  of  the  portico  forms  the  basement.  In 
the  southwest  tower  is  the  Great  Bell  of  St.  Paul's,  cast 
in  1709  by  Richard  Phelps  and  Langley  Bradley.  It  is  ten 
feet  in  diameter,  ten  inches  thick  in  metal  and  weighs 
11,474  pounds." — (M.) 

First  we  will  take  a  general  view  of  the  exterior : 


402  ST.  PAUL'S,  LONDON 

"The  form  of  St.  Paul's  is  that  of  the  long  or  Latin 
cross.  Its  extreme  length,  including  the  porch,  is  500  feet; 
the  greatest  breadth,  that  is  to  say  across  the  transept  but 
within  the  doors  of  the  porticoes,  250  feet;. the  width  of  the 
nave,  118  feet.  There  are,  however,  at  the  foot  or  western 
end  of  the  cross,  projections  northward  and  southward, 
which  make  the  breadth  190  feet.  One  of  these,  namely, 
on  the  north  side,  is  used  as  a  morning  chapel,  and  the 
other,  on  the  south  side,  contains  the  Wellington  Monu- 
ment, but  was  formerly  used  as  the  Consistory  Court.  At 
the  internal  angle  of  the  cross  are  small  square  bastion- 
like  adjuncts,  whose  real  use  is  to  strengthen  the  piers  of 
the  dome;  but  they  are  inwardly  serviceable  as  vestries 
and  a  staircase.  The  height  of  the  Cathedral  on  the 
south  side  to  the  top  of  the  cross  is  365  feet. 

"  The  exterior  consists  throughout  of  two  orders,  the 
lower  being  Corinthian,  the  upper  composite.  It  is  built 
externally  in  two  stories,  in  both  of  which,  except  at  the 
north  and  south  porticoes  and  at  the  west  front,  the  whole 
of  the  entablatures  rest  on  coupled  pilasters,  between 
which  in  the  lower  order  a  range  of  circular-headed  win- 
dows is  introduced.  But  in  the  order  above,  the  corre- 
sponding spaces  are  occupied  by  dressed  niches,  standing 
on  pedestals  pierced  with  openings  to  light  the  passages 
in  the  roof  over  the  side  aisles.  The  upper  order  is  noth- 
ing but  a  screen  to  hide  the  flying-buttresses  carried 
across  from  the  outer  walls  to  resist  the  thrust  of  the 
great  vaulting." — (M.) 

The  Dome,  the  great  feature  of  the  church,  is 
very  beautiful  when  seen  from  a  distance,  as  from 
one  of  the  bridges,  rising  with  its  graceful  curves 
far  above  the  roofs  and  other  spires. 

"  The  dome,  which  is  by  far  the  most  maginficent  and 
elegant  feature  in  the  building,  rises  from  the  body  of  the 
church  in  great  majesty.  It  is  145  feet  in  outward  and 
108  feet  in  inward  diameter.  Twenty  feet  above  the  roof 
of  the  church  is  a  circular  range  of  twenty-two  columns, 
every  fourth  intercolumniation  being  filled  with  masonry/ 
so  disposed  as  to  form  an  ornamental  niche  or  recess,  by 
which  arrangement  the  projecting  buttresses  of  the 
cupola  are  concealed,  These,  which  form  a  peristyle  of 


ST.  PAUL'S,  LONDON  403 

the  Composite  Order,  with  an  unbroken  entablature,  en- 
close the  interior  order.  They  support  a  handsome  gal- 
lery adorned  with  a  balustrade.  Above  these  columns  is  a 
range  of  pilasters,  with  windows  between  them,  forming 
an  attic  order,  and  on  these  the  great  dome  stands.  The 
general  idea  of  the  cupola,  as  appears  from  the  Parentalia, 
was  taken  from  the  Pantheon  at  Rome.  On  the  summit 
of  the  dome,  which  is  covered  with  lead,  is  a  gilt  cir- 
cular balcony,  and  from  its  centre  rises  the  lantern, 
adorned  with  Corinthian  columns.  The  whole  is  termi- 
nated by  a  gilt  ball  and  cross. 

"  But  with  the  matchless  exterior  ceases  the  superiority, 
and  likewise,  to  a  great  degree,  the  responsibility  of  Wren. 
His  designs  for  the  interior  were  not  only  carried  out, 
but  he  was  in  every  way  thwarted,  controlled,  baffled  in 
his  old  age  to  the  eternal  disgrace  of  all  concerned;  the 
victim  of  the  pitiful  jealousy  of  some,  the  ignorance  of 
others,  the  ingratitude  of  all."— (M.) 

It  is  singular  to  note  that  when  Wren  laid  the 
corner-stone  on  June  n,  1675,  there  was  no  solemn 
ceremonial.  The  King,  the  Court,  the  Archbishop 
of  Canterbury  and  the  Lord  Mayor  of  London  were 
all  notably  absent,  but  when  he  laid  the  last  stone 
in  the  lantern  of  the  cupola  in  1710 

"all  London  poured  forth  for  the  spectacle,  which  had 
been  publicly  announced,  and  were  looking  up  in  wonder 
to  the  old  man,  or  his  son,  if  not  the  old  man  himself, 
who  was,  on  that  wondrous  height,  setting  the  seal,  as  it 
were,  to  his  august  labours. 

"  When  one  enters  the  west  door  one  cannot  fail  to  be 
struck  with  the  vastness  of  the  space  enclosed  within 
its  massive  walls;  there  is  no  screen  to  break  the  view 
towards  the  east,  and,  as  one  stands  beneath  the  dome 
and  looks  up  into  its  enormous  hollow,  the  sense  of  over- 
powering height  is  felt  as  in  no  other  church  in  Eng- 
land."—(T.  P.) 

Entering  through  the  western  door  we  are  struck 
with  the  immensity  of  the  Nave  and  overspreading 


404  ST.  PAUL'S,  LONDON 

dome,  the  effect  of  the  lights,  and,  if  service  is  being 
held,  the  peculiar  beauty  of  the  chants  of  the  chor- 
isters, whose  voices  seem  to  come  from  the  dome 
and  float  through  the  misty  light  to  our  ears. 

It  would  be  interesting  to  know  if  Wagner  ever 
heard  the  choir-boys  of  St.  Paul's  and  sought  to 
reproduce  the  effect  in  Parsifal,  by  arranging  the 
voices  of  knights,  squires  and  youths  at  various 
stages  in  the  dome  of  Montsalvat  to  sing  softly  of 
the  "  wondrous  work  of  mercy  and  salvation." 

"  The  interior  of  the  nave  is  formed  by  an  arcade  rest- 
ing on  massive  pillars  and  dividing  the  church  into  a 
body  and  two  aisles.  The  eastern  piers  of  the  nave  serve 
at  the  same  time  for  the  supports  of  the  cupola.  They  are 
wider  than  the  other  piers,  and  are  flanked  by  pilasters 
at  their  angles  and  have  shallow  oblong  recesses  in  the 
intercolumniations.  The  roof  over  these  piers  is  a  boldly 
coffered  waggon-vault,  which  contrasts  very  effectively 
with  the  rest  of  the  vaulting. 

"  The  nave  is  separated  from  the  choir  by  the  area  over 
which  the  cupola  rises.  From  the  centre  of  this  area, 
the  transepts,  or  traverse  of  the  cross,  diverge  to  the 
north  and  south,  each  extending  one  severy,  or  arch,  in 
length.  The  choir,  which  is  vaulted  and  domed  over,  like 
the  nave  and  transepts,  from  the  top  of  the  attic  order,  is 
terminated  eastward  by  a  semicircular  tribune,  of  which 
the  diameter  is,  in  general  terms,  the  same  as  the  width 
of  the  choir  itself.  The  western  end  of  the  choir  has 
pillars  similar  to  those  at  the  eastern  end  of  the  nave,  uni- 
form with  which  there  are  at  its  eastern  end  piers  of  the 
same  extent  and  form,  except  that  they  are  pierced  for 
a  communication  with  the  side  aisles.  Above  the  en- 
tablature and  under  the  cupola  is  the  Whispering  Gallery, 
and  in  the  concave  above  are  representations  of  the  prin- 
cipal passages  of  St.  Paul's  life  in  eight  compartments, 
painted  by  Sir  James  Thornhill." — (M.) 

%We  should  note  that  there  are  three  stages — the 
main  arcade,  the  triforium  and  the  clerestory.  The 


ST.  PAUL'S,  LONDON  405 

piers  are  faced  with  Corinthian  pilasters  that  divide 
off  the  bays  east  and  west.  The  arches  spring  from 
an  entablature.  They  are  very  high.  The  "  tri- 
forium  belt/'  as  .the  "  attic  "  is  termed  by  those 
critics  who  have  dropped  the  Classical  nomencla- 
ture, and  clerestory  above  are  easily  understood  at 
a  glance. 

"The  great  arches  overhead  divide  the  vault  as  the 
greater  pilasters  and  their  continuations  do  the  walls.  Be- 
tween these  arches  are  the  small  saucer-shaped  domes, 
26  feet  in  diameter.  The  reason  for  these  and  their 
accessories,  the  pendentives,  may  best  be  understood  from 
Wren's  own  words.  He  says  that  his  method  of  vaulting  is 
the  most  geometrical,  and  '  is  composed  of  Hemispheres,  and 
their  Sections  only;  and  whereas  a  Sphere  may  be  cut  all 
Manner  of  Ways,  and  that  still  into  Circles  .  .  .  I  have  for 
just  Reasons  followed  this  way  in  the  Vaulting  of  the 
Church  of  St.  Paul's.  .  .  .  It  is  the  lightest  Manner,  and 
requires  less  Butment  than  the  Cross-vaulting,  as  well  that 
it  is  of  an  agreeable  View.  .  .  .  Vaulting  by  Parts  of 
Hemispheres  I  have  therefore  followed  in  the  Vaultings 
of  St.  Paul's,  and  with  good  reason  preferred  it  above 
any  other  way  used  by  Architects!  The  saucer-shaped 
domes  are  sections  of  spheres,  as  are  both  the  pendentives 
and  the  sides  of  the  clerestory  windows.  The  wreaths, 
garlands,  and  festoons,  and  the  various  conventional  pat- 
terns with  which  the  edges  and  surfaces  of  the  various 
parts  of  the  vaulting  is  adorned  cannot  be  estimated  from 
the  pavement."  —  (A.  D.) 

From  the  Crypt  to  the  dome  the  space  measures 
feet. 


"When  Wren  planned  his  dome  interior  he  had  the 
difficulty  caused  by  the  four  limbs  and  their  side  aisles 
to  overcome.  He  must  have  turned  to  his  uncle's  cathe- 
dral at  Ely  for  enlightenment.  In  the  earlier  years  of  the 
Fourteenth  Century  the  central  tower  of  Ely  collapsed, 
and  the  sacrist  Alan  de  Walsingham,  who  acted  as  archi- 
tect, seeing  that  the  breadth  of  his  nave,  choir  and  tran- 
septs happened  to  agree,  took  for  his  base  this  common 


406  ST.  PAUL'S,  LONDON 

breadth,  and  cutting  off  the  angles,  obtained  a  spacious 
octagon.  The  four  sides  terminating  the  main  aisles  are 
longer  than  the  four  alternate  aisles  at  the  angles  of  the 
side  aisles;  but  at  Ely  this  presents  no  difficulty,  owing 
to  the  use  of  the  pointed  arch.  As  you  stand  in  the  centre 
of  the  octagon  under  the  lantern  you  see  eight  spacious 
arches  of  two  different  widths,  all  springing  from  the 
same  level  and  rising  to  the  same  height  of  eighty-five 
feet,  the  terminal  arch  of  the  Norman  nave  pointed  like 
its  opposite  neighbour  of  the  choir.  Amongst  Gothic 
churches  the  interior  of  Ely  reigns  unique  and  supreme, 
certainly  in  England  if  not  in  Europe.  Wren  was  familiar 
with  this  cathedral,  and  even  designed  some  restorations 
for  it ;  and  he  adopted  the  eight  arches  in  prelerence  to  any 
possible  scheme  of  four  great  arches  of  sixty  feet:  but  the 
use  of  the  round  arch,  as  distinct  from  the  pointed,  de- 
prived him  of  Sacrist  Alan's  liberty,  who  without  incon- 
gruity made  his  intermediate  arches  of  the  shorter  sides, 
springing  from  the  same  level,  rise  to  the  same  height  as 
the  others.  Wren  was  compelled  to  make  use  of  some  ex- 
pedient to  reconcile  his  two  different  spaces  between  piers 
of  forty  feet  and  twenty-six  feet,  and  accordingly  arched 
these  four  smaller  intermediate  spaces  as  follows.  A 
smaller  arch,  rising  from  the  architrave  of  the  great  pier, 
spans  each  shorter  side  of  the  octagon,  and  has  a  ceiling 
or  semi-dome  in  the  background,  coming  down  to  the 
terminal  arches  of  the  side  aisles.  A  blank  wall  space 
above  is  relieved  by  a  section  of  an  ornamental  arch  of 
larger  span,  resting  on  the  centre  of  the  cornice;  and 
above  this  a  third  arch,  rising  from  the  level  of  the 
triforium  cornice,  rests  more  upon  the  outer  side  of  the 
great  supporting  pier,  and  thereby  obtains  the  required 
equal  span  of  forty  feet,  and  equal  height  of  eighty-nine 
feet  from  the  ground.  This  also  has  a  semi-dome ;  and  the 
platform  beneath  on  a  level  with  the  clerestory  is  railed. 

"  The  reduction  of  the  octagon  to  the  circle  is  facilitated 
by  giving  the  spandrels  between  the  arches  the  necessary 
concave  surface ;  and  this  stage  is  finished  off  with  a  canti- 
lever cornice,  the  work  (at  least  in  part)  of  one  Jona- 
than Maine.  The  eight  great  keystones  of  the  arches  by 
Caius  Gabriel  Gibber  are  seven  feet  by  five,  and  eighteen 
inches  in  relief."— (A.  D.) 


ST.  PAUL'S,  LONDON  407 

About  a  hundred  feet  from  the  pavement  end  the 
same  distance  across  is  the  celebrated  Whispering 
Gallery,  wjhere  a  curious  effect  is  obtained. 

The  attendant  whispering  across  the  whole  area 
can  be  distinctly  heard,  an  acoustic  property  seem- 
ingly caused  by  the  nearness  of  the  concave  hemi- 
sphere above. 

The  Cross  is  quite  260  feet  above  us.  The  gal- 
lery projects  so  that  the  lectern  steps  and  the  pulpit 
are  underneath. 

Now  we  come  to  the  Drum.  The  actual  bend 
inwards  now  begins,  but  for  this  part  only  in 
straight  lines.  First  comes  the  plain  band  or  Po- 
dium, panelled  and  of  a  height  of  twenty  feet.  On 
this  stand  thirty-two  pilasters,  in  reality,  as  well  as 
in  appearance,  out  of  the  horizontal.  Three  out  of 
each  four 

"intervening  spaces  are  pierced  with  square-headed  win- 
dows; and  from  them  such  light  as  the  dome  receives, 
streams  down  through  the  windows  of  the  exterior  colon- 
nade. The  alternate  fourth  recesses,  apparently  nothing 
more  than  ornamental  niches,  conceal  the  supports  which 
bear  the  weight  above.  In  the  recent  scheme  of  decora- 
tion they  have  been  filled  with  statues  of  Early  Fathers — 
the  four  eastern,  SS.  Chrysostom,  Gregory  Nazianzen, 
Basil,  and  Athanasius;  and  the  four  western,  SS.  Am- 
brose, Augustine  of  Hippo,  Jerome,  and  Gregory. 

"  The  straight  lines  bearing  inwards  give  way  to  the 
sphere;  and  here,  too,  the  three  separate  coverings,  which 
constitute  the  dome,  begin.  The  circular  opening  below  the 
lantern  coincides  with  the  lower  edge  of  the  fluting  of  the 
exterior  shell,  and  is  about  two  hundred  and  fifteen  feet 
from  the  pavement. 

"  These  upper  regions,  hidden  in  an  almost  perpetual 
gloom,  were  decorated  in  monochrome  by  Sir  James 
Thornhill;  but  his  work  has  failed  to  resist  the  chemical 
action  of  the  surcharged  atmosphere.  In  these  compart- 
ments are  scenes  from  the  life  of  the  patronal  saint:  (i) 


408  ST.  PAUL'S,  LONDON 

The  Conversion,  (2)  Elymas,  (3)  Cripple  at  Lystra,  (4) 
Jailer  at  Philippi,  (5)  Mars  Hill,  (6)  Burning  Books  at 
Ephesus,  (7)  Before  Agrippa,  (8)  Shipwreck.  We  have 
all  heard  the  story  of  the  painter,  on  a  platform  at  a  great 
height,  who  stepped  back  to  get  a  better  view  of  his  work. 
As  he  did  so,  an  assistant,  standing  by,  brush  in  hand,  ob- 
served with  alarm  that  the  slightest  further  backward  step 
would  entail  his  falling  headlong  and  being  dashed  to 
pieces.  He  deliberately  daubed  the  painting ;  and  the  artist, 
stepping  instinctively  forward  to  prevent  this,  saved  his 
life.  The  painter  is  said  to  be  Thornhill:  the  scene,  the 
giddy  height  under  the  dome." — (A.  D.) 

The  beautiful  iron-work  of  the  gates  is  by  Tijou, 
both  at  the  ends  of  the  aisles  and  doorways  of  the 
reredos  arch.  The  Choir-stalls  are  by  Grinling 
Gibbons  and  are  very  ornate  and  handsome.  The 
Lord  Mayor's  stall  is  on  the  left,  or  north  side,  and 
the  Bishop  of  London's  on  the  right,  or  south.  The 
latter's  throne  is  near  the  altar.  There  are  thirty- 
one  stalls  altogether. 

"The  exquisite  carvings  of  Grinling  Gibbons  in  the 
stall-work  of  the  choir  were  not  merely  in  themselves 
admirable,  but  in  perfect  harmony  with  the  character  of  the 
architecture.  They  rivalled,  if  they  did  not  surpass,  all 
Mediaeval  works  of  their  class  in  grace,  variety,  rich- 
ness; they  kept  up  an  inimitable  unison  of  the  lines  of 
the  building  and  the  decoration.  In  the  words  of  Wai- 
pole  '  there  is  no  instance  of  a  man  before  Gibbons  who 
gave  to  wood  the  loose  and  airy  lightness  of  flowers  and 
chained  together  the  various  productions  of  the  elements 
with  a  fine  disorder  natural  to  each  species/" — (M.) 

The  Organ  is  one  of  the  finest  in  the  world.  It 
was  reconstructed  by  Willis  in  1897,  an<^  s^  con" 
tains  parts  of  the  original  organ  built  by  the  Ger- 
man, Schmidt,  in  1697.  It  consists  of  4,822  pipes 
and  102  stops  and  is  divided  into  two  parts,  placed 
on  either  side  of  the  choir.  These  are  connected  by 


ST.  PAUL'S,  LONDON  409 

pneumatic  tubes  beneath  the  floor.  The  keyboard 
is  on  the  north  side. 

The  older  part  of  the  case  with  its  foliage,  figures 
and  architectural  devices  was  also  designed  by 
Grinling  Gibbons. 

The  Altar  stands  between  the  great  eastern  piers 
and  is  surmounted  by  a  tall  reredos  of  white  marble. 

"  The  symbolism  is  expressed  in  the  frieze  above  the 
Crucifixion,  '  Sic  Deus  dilexit  mundum'  ('God  so  loved 
the  world').  The  lower  part  is  pierced  with  doors  on 
either  side;  and  'Vas  Electionis '  ('A  chosen  vessel')  over 
the  north  door  refers  to  St.  Paul,  and  *  Pasce  oves  meos ' 
('Feed  my  sheep')  over  the  other  to  St.  Peter;  and  here 
are  the  crossed  swords,  the  arms  of  the  diocese.  The  sec- 
tion above  has  the  Entombment  in  the  centre,  and  the 
Nativity  and  Resurrection  on  either  side.  A  Crucifixion 
occupies  the  central  position.  The  framework  is  of  Roman 
design,  with  pilasters  and  a  round  arch ;  and  remembering 
Wren's  conception,  it  is  interesting  that  the  columns  of 
Brescia  marble,  supporting  the  entablature  above,  are 
twisted.  This  is  flanked  with  a  colonnade;  the  figure  on 
the  north  being  the  Angel  Gabriel,  and  to  the  south  the 
Virgin.  Above  the  pediment  is  a  canopy  with  the  Virgin 
and  Child,  and  St.  Peter  and  St.  Paul  to  the  north  and 
south;  and  above  all,  and  nearly  seventy  feet  from  the 
ground,  the  Risen  Christ  completes  this  most  reverent 
design. 

"The  altar  cross  is  adorned  with  precious  stones  and 
lapis  lazuli ;  and  the  massive  copper  candlesticks  are  imita- 
tions of  the  original  four  said  to  have  been  sold  during  the 
Protectorate."— (A.  D.) 

The  apse  behind  the  altar  cut  off  by  the  reredos 
is  now  called  the  Jesus  Chapel.  Over  the  altar  here 
is  a  copy  of  Cima  de  Conegliano's  Doubting 
Thomas  (in  the  National  Gallery). 

The  apse  and  the  vaulting  and  the  walls  of  the 
choir  and  ambulatory  have  in  recent  years  been 
decorated  by  Sir  William  Richmond  with  richly- 


410  ST.  PAUL'S,  LONDON 

coloured  mosaics.  The  chief  panels  of  the  apse 
represent  our  Lord  enthroned,  with  recording  angels 
on  either  side.  In  the  choir  the  three  "  saucer 
domes,"  or  cupolas,  represent  three  Days  of  Crea- 
tion: Beasts,  Fishes  and  birds.  The  four  pendent- 
ives  of  each  bay  are  decorated  with  herald  Angels, 
with  extended  arms.  Mosaics  of  the  Crucifixion, 
Entombment,  Resurrection  and  Ascension,  also  by 
Sir  William  Richmond,  adorn  the  "  quarter  domes." 

The  eight  paintings  by  Thornhill,  of  scenes  from 
the  life  of  St.  Paul,  can  be  viewed  properly  only 
from  the  Whispering  Gallery.  In  the  niches  above 
this  Gallery  are  statues  of  the  Fathers  of  the 
Church.  The  spandrels  between  the  great  arches 
are  decorated  by  eight  large  mosaics  representing 
apostles  and  prophets:  St.  Matthew  and  St.  John 
are  by  G.  F.  Watts ;  St.  Mark  and  St.  Luke,  by  A. 
Brittan;  and  the  four  prophets  are  the  work  of 
Alfred  Stevens. 

The  Transepts  are  of  one  arch  only.  The  win- 
dows are  modern  and  represent  bishops  and  kings 
of  early  days.  In  the  south  transept  aisle  there  is  a 
window  commemorating  the  recovery  of  the  Prince 
of  Wales  (Edward  VII.)  in  1872;  and  a  bronze  tab- 
let by  Princess  Louise  in  memory  of  "  4,300  sons  of 
Britain  beyond  the  seas  "  who  were  killed  in  the 
South  African  war  of  1899-1901. 

To  the  left  of  the  chief  entrance  is  St.  Dunstan's 
Chapel,  sometimes  called  the  North-West,  or 
Morning  Chapel.  It  is  richly  decorated  and  con- 
tains a  Salviati  mosaic  representing  the  Three 
Marys  at  the  Sepulchre. 

In  the  south  aisle,  opposite,  is  the  Chapel  of  the 
Order  of  St.  Michael  and  St.  George,  a  Colonial 
order,  conferred  only  for  distinguished  services 


ST.  PAUL'S,  LONDON  411 

beyond  the  seas.  The  Sovereign's  stall  is  at  the 
western  end ;  and  on  each  side  of  it  is  that  of  the 
Grand  Master  (Prince  of  Wales)  and  the  Duke 
of  Connaught.  From  these  diverge  the  oak  stalls 
of  the  Knights  Grand  Cross  of  the  Order,  over 
each  of  which  is  suspended  a  silk  banner  with  his 
personal  arms.  The  richly-gilded  ceiling  is  deco- 
rated with  the  arms  of  the  King,  the  Prince  of 
Wales,  the  late  Duke  of  Cambridge  and  Sir  Robert 
Herbert,  who  were  responsible  for  the  scheme.  In 
the  south  window  is  a  kneeling  figure  of  the  donor, 
Sir  Walter  Wilkin.  The  chapel  was  dedicated  on 
June  13,  1906,  in  the  presence  of  King  Edward, 
the  Prince  of  Wales  and  many  Knights. 

Above  this  chapel  the  Library  is  situated  to  which 
the  curious  Geometrical  Staircase  leads.  This  is 
circular,  of  a  diameter  of  twenty-five  feet,  and  each 
step  is  supported  by  the  one  below  it.  This  is  in 
the  South  tower. 

St.  Paul's  is  second  only  to  Westminster  Abbey  in 
the  number  of  Monuments  to  the  celebrated  dead. 
Immediately  within  the  west  door  stands  a  gilt 
monument  to  the  officers  and  men  of  the  Cold- 
stream  Guards  who  fell  in  the  South  African  War. 
In  the  north  aisle  of  the  nave  we  come  to  monu- 
ments of  General  Gordon,  a  recumbent  figure  on 
a  sarcophagus  by  Sir  Joseph  Edgar  Boehm ;  Well- 
ington, by  Alfred  Stevens;  Lord  Leighton;  Lord 
Melbourne.  In  the  north  transept  Sir  Joshua 
Reynolds,  by  Flaxman;  and  Admiral  Rodney,  by 
Rossi;  in  the  south  transept  Nelson,  by  Flaxman, 
who  thus  describes  his  work : 


"  Britannia  is   directing   the   young   seamen's   attention 
to  their  great  example,  Lord  Nelson.     On  the  die  of  the 


412  ST.  PAUL'S,  LONDON 

pedestal  which  supports  the  hero's  statue  are  figures  in 
basso-relievo,  representing  the  Frozen  Ocean,  the  German 
Ocean,  the  Nile,  and  the  Mediterranean.  On  the  cornice 
and  in  the  frieze  of  laurel  wreaths  are  the  words,  Copen- 
hagen, Nile,  Trafalgar.  The  British  Lion  sits  on  the 
plinth,  guarding  the  pedestal." 

In  the  South  transept:  Lord  Cornwallis,  by 
Rossi,  commemorates  his  Indian  career.  He  ap- 
pears in  his  mantle  of  the  Garter,  with  an  allegorical 
female  figure  of  the  Eastern  Empire  and  a  male 
figure  representing  an  Indian  river. 

At  the  east  side  of  the  south  transept  is  the  en- 
trance to  the  Crypt,  sombre,  dimly  lighted  and 
sepulchral.  In  the  centre  a  circle  of  pillars  sur- 
rounds the  tomb  of.  Nelson,  whose  remains  lie  in 
a  plain  tomb  under  a  black-and-white  sarcophagus 
(Sixteenth  Century),  which  was  made  for  Cardinal 
Wolsey's  monument  and  confiscated  with  his  other 
possessions.  Through  a  grating  here  the  dim  light 
from  the  far-away  dome  sifts  down  upon  England's 
great  admiral.  To  the  left  of  Nelson  lies  Colling- 
wood,  and,  to  the  right,  Cornwallis.  Not  far  away 
we  come  to  the  simple  tomb  of  Arthur,  Duke  of 
Wellington,  a  great  block  of  porphyry  on  a  granite 
base. 

In  the  east  recess  of  the  south-choir-aisle  is  the 
grave  of  Sir  Christopher  Wren  marked  by  a  plain 
black  marble  slab.  On  the  wall  is  the  celebrated 
inscription :  "  Lector,  si  monumentum  requiris,  cir- 
cumspice"  Then  comes  Painters'  Corner  with  Sir 
Joshua  Reynolds,  Benjamin  West,  Lawrence,  Tur- 
ner, Landseer,  Millais,  Leighton  and  others. 

We  have  yet  to  make  the  ascent  of  St.  Paul's. 
The  way  is  long  and  grows  more  tedious  and  steeper 
as  we  ascend.  It  will  be  well  to  stop  at  the  Stone 


ST.  PAUL'S,  LONDON  413 

Gallery  (200  feet  high),  for  although  the  Golden 
Gallery,  at  the  top  of  the  dome,  is  a  hundred  feet 
higher,  the  view  is  not  so  distinct.  The  Stone  Gal- 
lery is  safe,  and  delightful  views  are  to  be  had  in 
the  spaces  between  the  balustrades.  The  view  ex- 
tends from  Harrow  on  the  north-west,  to  the  Crys- 
tal Palace,  Shooter's  Hill  and  Greenwich  Observa- 
tory in  the  south-east.  The  tourist  will,  however, 
take  more  pleasure  in  looking  over  the  territory 
covered  by  the  Great  Fire  of  1666  and  all  the  Wren 
steeples  (there  are  thirty  at  least)  that  rise  through 
the  mists  below  us.  Here  we  again  think  of  Sir 
Christopher's  genius  and  remember  again  his  epi- 
taph :  "  If  you  wish  an  estimate  of  his  genius,  look 
around."  It  is  interesting,  too,  to  trace  Fleet  Street, 
Cheapside  and  the  other  great  arteries  of  traffic 
and  travel,  to  look  at  the  Thames  and  understand 
its  peculiar  windings  and  to  view  from  this  height 
the  grim  old  Tower  half  a  mile  below  London 
Bridge — the  oldest  building  in  England  and  the  most 
romantic.  Without  the  Tower  of  London  and  with- 
out St.  Paul's  what  would  London  be?  Westmin- 
ster Abbey  is  the  church  of  the  King  and  the  gov- 
ernment ;  St.  Paul's  is  the  church  of  the  citizens,  the 
church  that,  as  we  have  seen,  has  been  a  central 
point  for  the  stirring  events  of  the  City  of  London. 
Whenever  the  traveller  thinks  of  London,  he  sees 
its  majestic  dome  rising  above  London  Bridge  or 
Ludgate  Hill,  or  Cheapside,  purple  in  the  mists, 
golden  in  the  sunlight — the  emblem  of  London's 
antiquity  and  its  present  immensity. 

"  I  always  endow  St.  Paul's  Cathedral'  with  life  and 
human  nature  and  sympathy.  I  cannot  well  explain  what 
early  associations  and  chances  have  made  St.  Paul's  a  more 
living  influence  to  me  than  the  much  grander  and  nobler 


4H  ST.  PAUL'S,  LONDON 

Westminster  Abbey;  but  so  it  is  and  I  feel  as  if  St.  Paul's 
were  a  living  influence  over  all  that  region  of  the  metropolis 
which  is  surveyed  by  its  ball  and  its  cross.  But  in  another 
sense  it  is  unlike  other  buildings  to  me.  It  is  not  one  long- 
lived,  long-living  cathedral;  it  is  rather  a  generation  of 
cathedrals.  Westminster  Abbey  takes  us  back  in  unbroken 
continuity  of  history  to  the  earlier  days  of  England's 
budding  greatness.  Westminster  itself,  nevertheless,  was 
only  called  so  in  the  beginning  to  distinguish  it  from  the 
earlier  East  Minster,  which  was  either  the  existing  St. 
Paul's  or  a  cathedral  standing  on  Tower  Hill.  It  would 
seem,  then,  that  St.  Paul's  rather  than  Westminster  Abbey 
ought  to  represent  the  gradual  movement  of  English  his- 
tory and  English  thought  and  the  growth  of  the  metropolis. 
But  observe  the  difference.  Westminster  Abbey  has  al- 
ways since  its  erection  been  sedately  watching  over  Lon- 
don. It  has  been  reconstructed  here  and  there,  of  course 
— repaired  and  renovated,  touched  up  and  decorated  with 
new  adornments  in  tribute  of  grateful  piety ;  but  it  is 
ever  and  always  the  same  Westminster  Abbey.  Now 
observe  the  history  of  St.  Paul's.  St.  Paul's  has  fallen  and 
died  time  after  time,  and  been  revived  and  restored.  It 
has  risen  new  upon  new  generations.  It  has  perished  in 
flame  again  and  again,  like  a  succession  of  martyrs,  and  has 
come  up  afresh  and  with  new  spangled  ore  flamed  in  the 
forehead  of  the  morning  sky.  St.  Paul's  is  a  religious  or 
ecclesiastical  dynasty  rather  than  a  cathedral.  It  has  been 
destroyed  so  often  and  risen  again  in  so  many  different 
shapes,  that  it  seems  as  if  each  succeeding  age  were  putting 
its  fresh  stamp  and  mint-mark  on  it  and  so  commending  it 
to  the  special  service  of  each  new  generation." — (J.  McC.) 


W 


C 

a 
u 


H 

CO 


D 

c 
in 


c 

IT. 

C/3 


ST.  SAVIOUR'S,  SOUTHWARK 

FORMERLY  THE  COLLEGIATE  CHURCH  OF  ST.  SAVIOUR;  AND 

ST.  MARY  OVERIE,  SOUTHWARK. 
SPECIAL  FEATURES:  CENTRAL  TOWER;  C HOIR- SCREEN ;  TOMB 

OF  JOHN    GOWER;    HARVARD   WINDOW;    WINDOWS    TO 

ELIZABETHAN  DRAMATISTS. 

ALTHOUGH  St.  Saviour's,  Southwark,  is  one  of  the 
oldest  buildings  in  London,  it  is  one  of  the  youngest 
of  cathedrals  in  England,  having  been  formally  in- 
augurated as  a  Cathedral  by  King  Edward  on  July 
3,  1905.  It  was  recently  restored  at  a  cost  of 
£40,000.  Parts  of  the  Norman  nave,  dating  from 
the  Twelfth  Century,  were  incorporated  by  Sir  Ar- 
thur Blomfield  in  the  new  nave  built  in  1891-1896. 
St.  Saviour's  stands  on  the  south  or  Surrey  side 
of  London  in  the  Borough,  a  district  of  very  little 
interest  in  comparison  with  London  north  of  the 
Thames;  but  very  rich  in  historical  associations. 
After  crossing  London  Bridge  we  find  this  church 
on  our  right  on  a  lower  level  than  the  road,  which 
sunken  situation  prevents  a  good  view  of  the  vener- 
able pile.  Adjoining  the  church  is  the  Borough 
Market  for  fruit  and  vegetables  and  west  of  it  in 
Park  Street,  close  to  Southwark  Bridge,  is  Bar- 
clay's Brewery  on  the  site  of  Shakespeare's  Globe 
Theatre.  Going  down  Borough  High  Street  we 
pass  the  site  of  the  old  Tabard  Inn,  from  which 
Chaucer's  Canterbury  Pilgrims  started  on  their 
journey;  and  still  lower  down  the  street,  the  suc- 
cessor to  the  White  Hart,  where  Mr.  Pickwick 
found  the  immortal  Sam  Weller.  In  the  vicinity 
415 


416       ST.  SAVIOUR'S,  SOUTHWARK 

the  Marshalsea  prison  stood  until  the  middle  of  the 
Nineteenth  Century,  within  the  sound  of  St. 
Saviour's  bells. 

St.  Saviour's  is  now  almost  the  only  remaining 
landmark  of  "  Old  Southwark." 

Its  early  history  is  lost  in  legend.  Stow,  on  the 
authority  of  Linstede,  the  last  of  the  priors,  at- 
tributed the  building  of  the  original  London  Bridge 
to  the  profits  made  by  a  ferryman  here,  who  left 
his  money  to  his  daughter  Mary.  He  tells  the 
story  as  follows : 

"  East  from  the  Bishop  of  Winchester's  house,  directly 
over  against  it,  standeth  a  fair  church  called  St.  Mary-over- 
the-Rie,  or  Overie;  that  is,  over  the  water.  This  church, 
or  some  other  in  place  thereof,  was,  of  old  time,  long  be- 
fore the  Conquest,  a  house  of  sisters,  founded  by  a  maiden 
named  Mary ;  unto  the  which  house  and  sisters  she  left,  as 
was  left  to  her  by  her  parents,  the  oversight  and  profits  of 
a  cross  ferry,  or  traverse  ferry  over  the  Thames,  there 
kept  before  that  any  bridge  was  built.  This  house  of  sis- 
ters was  after  by  Swithun,  a  noble  lady,  converted  into  a 
college  of  priests,  who  in  place  of  the  ferry  built  a  bridge 
of  timber,  and  from  time  to  time  kept  the  place  in  good 
reparations;  but  lastly,  the  same  bridge  was  built  of 
stone;  and  then  in  the  year  1106  was  this  church  again 
founded  for  canons  regular  by  William  Pont  de  la  Arch, 
and  William  Dauncey,  Knights,  Normans." 

Modern  historians  have  made  a  few  corrections 
in  this  statement,  particularly  as  regards  the  person 
who  changed  the  nunnery  into  a  college  of  priests. 
This  was  not  a  "  noble  lady,"  but  St.  Swithun, 
Bishop  of  Winchester  (832-856)  (see  page  46). 
It  became  a  monastery  of  the  Augustinian  order 
in  1106,  and  the  Norman  knights  who  aided  in 
its  foundation  also  built  the  new  Norman  nave. 
After  a  severe  fire  that  occurred  early  in  the  Thir- 


ST.  SAVIOUR'S,  SOUTH'WARK       417 

teenth  Century,  when  much  of  South wark  was 
destroyed,  the  church  suffered  greatly.  Repairs 
were,  of  course,  necessary ;  and  the  Bishop  of  Win- 
chester, who  took  charge,  rebuilt  the  nave  in  the 
lighter  Early  English  style  and  also  the  choir  and 
retro-choir. 

Another  fire  in  the  reign  of  Richard  II.  occa- 
sioned other  repairs  in  the  new  Perpendicular  style 
which  was  continued  by  Cardinal  Beaufort,  Bishop 
of  Winchester  (1405-1447),  who  restored  the  south 
transept.  The  Cardinal  was  the  son  of  John  of 
Gaunt  and  Catherine  Swynford.  In  this  church  he 
married  his  niece  Jane  Beaufort  to  James  I.  of  Scot- 
land in  1423,  with  whom  the  royal  poet  fell  in  love 
during  his  imprisonment  at  Windsor. 

After  the  Dissolution  of  the  monasteries  in  1536 
St.  Mary  Overy,  which  had  already  been  united 
with  St.  Mary  Magdalene,  was  now  combined  with 
St.  Margaret's  and  in  the  year  of  Linstede's  sur- 
render to  Henry  VIII.  (1540)  the  three  parishes 
were  united  under  the  name  of  the  Collegiate 
Church  of  St.  Saviour. 

St.  Saviour's  was  several  times  repaired  and  al- 
tered in  the  Eighteenth  Century,  and  then  fell  into 
neglect. 

The  East  End  is  an  enlargement  or  addition  to 
the  choir.  It  consists,  as  we  see,  of  four  bays  sep- 
arated by  buttresses  and  surmounted  by  gables. 
Each  gable  is  lighted  by  a  triplet  of  lancet  windows. 
Larger  windows  of  the  same  general  style  light  the 
bays  below.  At  the  north-east  corner  is  a  short 
hexagonal  stair  turret.  Above  the  Lady-Chapel 
rises  the  East  End  or  gable  of  the  choir.  This  has 
also  a  three-light  lancet  window,  with  a  small  cir- 
cular window  with  seven  cusps  above.  On  the 


418       ST.  SAVIOUR'S,  SOUTHWARK 

north-east  corner  the  turret  is  capped  by  a  pinnacle. 
Above  rises  the  venerable  square  tower — St.  Sa- 
viour's best  feature. 

The  Tower  at  the  intersection  of  the  nave  and 
transepts  was  partly  built  by  Bishop  Fox  in  the  Per- 
pendicular style. 

"  At  the  intersection  of  the  nave,  transepts  and  choir, 
rises  a  noble  tower,  thirty-five  feet  square  and  one  hundred 
and  fifty  feet  in  height,  resting  on  four  massive  pillars 
adorned  with  clustered  columns.  The  sharp-pointed  arches 
are  very  lofty.  The  interior  of  the  tower  is  in  four  stories, 
in  the  uppermost  of  which  is  a  fine  peal  of  twelve  bells. 
Externally  the  tower,  which  is  not  older  than  the  Sixteenth 
Century,  somewhat  resembles  that  of  St.  Sepulchre's 
Church,  close  by  Newgate.  It  is  divided  into  two  parts, 
with  handsome  pointed  windows,  in  two  stories,  on  each 
front;  it  has  tall  pinnacles  at  each  corner,  and  the  battle- 
ments are  of  flint,  in  squares  or  chequer- work." — (E.  W.) 

The  South  transept,  like  the  north  transept,  was 
built  in  the  Decorated  style  in  the  first  half  of  the 
Fourteenth  Century,  but  was  rebuilt  by  Cardinal 
Beaufort.  It  has  been  restored  in  the  style  of  his 
time,  and  the  window  of  five  lights  is  Transitional 
in  style  from  Decorated  to  Perpendicular. 

We  enter  by  the  Doorway  at  the  south-west,  the 
principal  entrance  to  the  Cathedral. 

"  In  all  probability  the  door  was  placed  in  this  position 
when  the  Norman  nave  was  built  by  Bishop  Giffard  (circa 
1106)  ;  but  its  character  was  altered  by  Peter  de  Rupibus, 
a  century  later,  to  bring  it  into  harmony  with  the  rest  of 
his  Early  English  work,  when  he  remodelled  the  nave  in 
that  style. 

"  The  porch  that  we  now  have  agrees  in  its  main  features 
with  the  drawings  taken  of  the  earlier  one  before  it  was 
destroyed.  A  deeply  recessed  and  acutely  pointed  arch  is 
divided  into  two  by  a  central  shaft,  with  moulded  base  and 
foliaged  capital.  The  jambs  contain  five  shafts  on  each 


ST.  SAVIOUR'S,  SOUTHWARK       419 

side,  which  differ  from  that  in  the  centre,  in  that  they 
are  of  Purbeck  marble,  and  banded,  in  pleasing  contrast  to 
the  plain  stone  of  their  own  bases  and  capitals,  and  of  the 
(unbanded)  central  shaft.  In  the  tympanum  of  the  double 
doorway  thus  formed,  there  is  a  pointed  arcading,  con- 
sisting of  a  central  arch  and  two  smaller  arches  on  either 
side.  The  deep  soffit  of  the  arch  in  which  this  elegant 
arcading  is  enclosed,  is  adorned  with  a  series  of  quatrefoil 
panels." — (Geo.  W.) 

On  entering  we  get  a  fine  view  of  more  than  two 
hundred  feet. 

The  Nave  was  rebuilt  in  18901897  and  is  a  re- 
production of  the  Early  English  nave  in  nearly 
every  detail.  As  we  look  down  the  long  vista  we 
are  reminded  of  Salisbury.  Here,  however,  we 
have  the  magnificent  screen  and  the  handsome  East 
window  above  it.  The  clerestory  is  lighted  by  plain 
lancet  windows,  enclosed  in  an  elegant  arcading. 

Walking  down  the  north  aisle  of  the  nave  we 
soon  come  to  the  most  interesting  monument  in  the 
Cathedral — the  tomb  of  John  Gower,  who  died  in 
1408,  eight  years  after  his  friend  Chaucer,  to  whom 
the  window  above  (1900)  is  appropriately  enough 
a  memorial  and  bears  the  latter's  portrait. 

"He  had  been  a  liberal  benefactor  to  the  Church,  and 
founded  a  chantry  in  the  Chapel  of  St.  John  the  Baptist, 
where  he  was  eventually  buried.  The  chapel  and  chantry 
are  no  more,  but  the  monument  marks  the  spot,  having 
been  restored  in  1894  to  its  first  position.  It  is  in  the 
Perpendicular  style,  and  consists  of  an  altar-tomb,  with  a 
dado,  ornamented  by  seven  panels  in  front,  on  which  lies 
the  effigy  of  the  poet,  surmounted  by  a  canopy  of  three 
ogee  arches,  with  an  inner  order  of  five  cusps,  and  termi- 
nating in  crocketed  pinnacles.  There  is  a  pilaster  set 
angle-wise  at  each  end,  banded  at  the  separate  divisions 
of  the  monument,  and  also  rising  into  crocketed  pinnacles. 
There  are  similar  pinnacles  between  the  arches  of  the 


420       ST.  SAVIOUR'S,  SOUTHWARK 

canopy.  Behind  the  canopy  is  a  screen,  divided  into  open 
panels  of  three  trefoil-headed  lights.  The  cornice  at  the 
top  is  modern,  and  the  hands  and  nose  of  the  figure  are 
restorations. 

"  The  poet  is  represented  lying  on  his  back,  with  his 
hands  joined  in  prayer,  and  his  head  resting  upon  the  three 
volumes  on  which  his  fame  depends,  the  Speculum  Medi- 
tantis,  Vox  Clamantis,  and  Confessio  Amantis.  '  He  is 
vested  in  a  long  dark  habit,  buttoned  down  to  the  feet, 
after  the  manner  of  a  cassock,  the  ordinary  dress  of  an 
English  gentleman  at  the  time.  There  is  a  garland  of 
four  roses  round  his  head,  and  at  his  feet  a  lion  couchant. 
The  SS.  collar  adorns  the  neck,  with  a  pendant  jewel,  on 
which  a  swan  is  engraved — the  device  of  Richard  II.,  to 
whom  Gower  was  Poet  Laureate.  On  the  wall  of  the 
canopy,  at  the  foot  of  the  tomb,  there  is  a  sculptured  and 
coloured  representation  of  the  poet's  own  shield  of  arms, 
crest  and  helmet.  On  the  back  wall  of  the  recess,  above 
the  effigy,  there  were  formerly  three  painted  figures,  repre- 
senting Charity,  Mercy,  and  Piety,  each  bearing  a  scroll 
with  an  invocation,  in  Norman-French,  for  the  soul  of 
the  departed.  After  undergoing  repainting  more  than  once, 
with  modifications,  the  figures  were  scarcely  recognisable 
in  1832,  when  the  monument  was  repaired,  but  the  figures 
were  unfortunately  obliterated.  The  inscription  along  the 
ledge  of  the  tomb,  which  had  also  been  destroyed,  is  now 
replaced:  'Hie  jacet  I.  Gower,  Arm.  Angl :  poeta  celeber- 
rimus  ac  hoc  sacro  benefac.  insignis.  Vixit  temporibus 
Edw.  III.,  Ric.  II.,  et  Henri  IV.'  "— (Geo.  W.) 

Now  we  have  reached  the  North  Transept,  sup- 
posed to  have  been  originally  a  chapel  dedicated  to 
St.  Peter.  It  is  now  used  as  a  sort  of  museum  for 
the  relics  and  antiquities  of  the  church — old  bosses, 
chests,  stone-coffins,  etc.  The  large  north  window 
was  unveiled  in  1898  to  commemorate  doubly  the 
Prince  Consort  and  Queen  Victoria's  Diamond 
Jubilee.  Its  four  lights  depict  Gregory  the  Great, 
King  Ethelbert,  Stephen  Langton  and  William 
of  Wykeham. 


ST.  SAVIOUR'S,  SOUTHWARK       421 

Passing  to  the  tower  we  can  now  look  upward 
as  far  as  the  floor  of  the  bell-ringers.  The  bosses 
on  the  new  oaken  roof  date  from  the  Fifteenth 
Century.  From  it  hangs  a  fine  Chandelier  of  1680. 

The  South  Transept  was  rebuilt  by  Cardinal 
Beaufort,  whose  arms  we  see  on  a  pier  by  the  tran- 
sept door.  The  great  south  window  of  five  lights, 
described  by  Sir  Arthur  Blomfield,  the  designer,  as 
"  transitional  between  Flowing  Decorated  and  Per- 
pendicular," is  filled  with  modern  glass.  The  de- 
sign is-  a  "  Tree  of  Jesse." 

Returning  now  to  the  Choir  we  pause  here  to 
study  it  in  detail.  It  was  built  by  Peter  de  Rupibus 
in  the  Thirteenth  Century,  and  is  Early  English. 
It  consists  of  five  bays.  The  piers  are  alternate 
circular  and  octagonal,  with  plain  capitals  and  well- 
cut  base  mouldings.  Four  arched  openings  occur  in 
each  bay  of  the  triforium.  Corbels  with  sculptured 
heads  occur  on  the  arches  of  the  south  side. 

The  Altar  stands  on  a  platform  and  above  it  rises 
the  wonderful  Screen,  erected  by  Bishop  Fox  in 
1520.  It  almost  fills  the  entire  eastern  end  of  the 
choir. 


"  The  screen  is  about  thirty  feet  in  height,  and  extends  to 
the  main  arcades  on  either  side.  Three  tiers  of  canopied 
niches,  ten  in  each  tier,  divided  down  the  centre  by  a  Per- 
pendicular series  of  three  large  niches,  all  occupied  by 
statues,  made  up  a  composition  which  was  at  once  '  a  thing 
of  beauty'  and  an  object  lesson  on  the  Incarnation.  The 
total  number  of  niches  (thirty-three)  suggested  a  mystic 
reference  to  the  years  of  our  Lord's  earthly  life,  while  the 
image  of  the  Pelican  '  in  her  piety,'  here  and  there,  besides 
being  a  reminder  of  Bishop  Fox  (whose  peculiar  device  it 
was),  also  typified  the  sacrament  of  the  altar.  The  original 
materials  of  which  the  screen  was  built  are  quoted  as 
'  Caen  and  fire-stone/  for  which  Mr,  Wallace  substituted 


422       ST.  SAVIOUR'S,  SOUTHWARK 

stone  from  Painswick  in  Gloucestershire,  as  more  easily 
obtained  and  agreeing  in  colour  with  the  old  work. 

"  The  doors  on  each  side  will  be  noticed,  with  their  de- 
pressed ogee  headings,  which  indicate  that  this  screen  is  of 
somewhat  later  date  than  the  corresponding  one  (also  by 
Bishop  Fox)  at  Winchester.  Another  indication  to  the 
same  effect  has  been  detected  in  the  grotesque  carvings  in 
the  spandrels,  which  are  here  of  a  humorous  character, 
whereas  at  Winchester  the  minor  decorations  are  entirely 
sacred,  e.g.,  the  Annunciation  and  Visitation." — (Geo.  W.) 

The  East  Window  above  contains  three  lancets, 
the  glass  representing  the  Crucifixion  in  the  centre 
with  St.  John  on  one  side  and  the  Virgin  on  the 
other.  It  is  placed  in  a  quintuple  arcade.  The 
prevailing  colour  is  blue. 

On  the  north  side  of  the  choir  under  the  first  arch 
we  notice  the  Monument  of  Richard  Humble,  a 
good  specimen  of  the  Jacobean  period.  Here,  under 
an  arched  canopy,  Richard  Humble  is  kneeling  be- 
fore an  altar,  with  his  two  wives  behind  him.  The 
second  one  wears  a  conical  hat. 

The  Retro-Choir,  now  called  the  Lady-Chapel, 
was  erected  by  Peter  de  Rupibus.  It  is  one  of  the 
best  examples  of  Early  English  extant.  Six  slender 
columns  support  the  groined  vault.  If  we  look  at 
it  from  the  south-east  corner  we  gain  a  good  view 
showing  the  altar  on  the  north  side  and  the  tomb 
of  Bishop  Andrews  (died  1626)  on  the  west,  an 
example  of  the  Renaissance  style,  with  a  painted 
effigy.  This  Bishop  of  Winchester  (who  often  vis- 
ited St.  Saviour's,  the  most  important  church  in  his 
diocese  after  the  Cathedral  of  Winchester)  was 
buried  in  a  little  chapel  east  of  the  retro-choir.  The 
"  Bishop's  Chapel,"  as  it  was  called,  was  destroyed 
in  1830  and  the  body  of  Bishop  Andrews  was  trans- 
ferred to  its  present  place. 


ST.  SAVIOUR'S,  SOUTHWARK       423 

Of  the  windows  in  the  Retro-Choir  the  most  ad- 
mired is  the  one  in  the  north  side  of  three  lights 
containing  figures  of  Charles  L,  Thomas  a  Becket 
and  Archbishop  Laud.  The  tracery  is  in  the  Deco- 
rated style. 

Walking  along  the  north-choir-aisle  we  pass  the 
effigy  of  a  knight  and  soon  come  to  the  most  con- 
spicuous monument  in  this  aisle,  that  of  John  Tre- 
hearne,  servant  to  Queen  Elizabeth  and  "  Gentle- 
man Portar  "  to  James  I.  On  the  top  of  the  tomb 
are  Trehearne  and  his  wife  with  big  ruffs.  They 
proudly  hold  a  tablet  which  is  a  eulogy  of  Tre- 
hearne's  remarkable  qualities.  Their  four  children 
kneel  on  a  bas-relief  below.  It  is  a  very  interesting 
example  of  Seventeenth  Century  mortuary  art. 

A  door  leads  from  the  north-choir-aisle  into  the 
Chapel  of  St.  John  the  Divine,  now  famous  for 
the  Harvard  Window  in  its  eastern  wall. 

"  Henceforth  the  chapel  will  be  associated  with  the  name 
of  John  Harvard,  who  was  born  in  the  parish,  and  bap- 
tised in  the  church  on  2pth  November,  1607,  and  its  restora- 
tion is  intended  to  take  the  form  of  a  memorial  to  that 
great  and  good  man. 

"  The  first  practical  step  in  this  direction  was  taken  by 
the  Hon.  Joseph  H.  Choate,  who  manifested  great  interest 
in  the  ancient  fabric  while  he  was  American  Ambassador, 
and  presented  the  east  window  to  the  chapel  in  com- 
memoration of  John  Harvard,  founder  of  the  renowned 
university  which  bears  his  name.  The  window,  unveiled 
by  Mr.  Choate  on  Monday,  2nd  May,  1905,  is  of  three 
lights,  transomed,  as  designed  by  Sir  Arthur  Blomfield  and 
Sons,  the  glass  being  made  in  America  under  the  super- 
vision of  Mr.  Charles  F.  McKim,  the  famous  American 
architect.  The  design  is  by  Mr.  John  La  Farge.  In  the 
central  light  of  the  lower  division  the  Baptism  of  Christ 
is  depicted,  attendant  angels  occupying  the  sides.  The 
upper  division  contains  the  arms  of  Emmanuel  College, 
Cambridge,  where  John  Harvard  was  educated,  and  of  the 


424       ST.  SAVIOUR'S,  SOUTHWARK 

Harvard  University,  with  its  mottoes,  Veritas  and  Christo 
et  Ecclesiae.  The  base  bears  the  inscription,  '  In  memory 
of  John  Harvard,  founder  of  Harvard  University  in 
America,  baptised  in  this  church,  Nov.  29,  1607.' 

"  The  window  is  a  noteworthy  example  of  modern  work, 
and  the  treatment  of  the  familiar  subject  is  distinctly 
original,  in  which  respect,  as  well  as  in  colouring,  it 
presents  a  very  striking  contrast  to  the  other  windows, 
especially  to  those  of  mediaeval  character,  throughout  the 
church.  Perhaps  it  is  fortunate  that  it  occupies  an  iso- 
lated position  in  the  chapel,  where  the  brilliance  and  pecu- 
liarity of  the  colouring  are  seen  to  full  advantage  without 
detriment  to  the  other  windows." — (Geo.  W.) 

We  again  find  our  way  back  to  the  tower  and 
into  the  south-aisle  of  the  nave  for  the  particular 
purpose  of  looking  at  the  windows  representing  the 
Elizabethan  players  and  dramatists,  associated 
with  the  Southwark  theatres.  Some  of  them,  John 
Fletcher,  Philip  Massinger  and  Edmund  Shake- 
speare, are  buried  here.  The  first  of  this  series 
of  windows  is  a  memorial  to  Edward  Alleyn  (1566- 
1626);  next  to  Francis  Beaumont  (1585-1616); 
next  to  John  Fletcher  (1579-1625)  ;  next  to  Philip 
Massinger  (1583-1639) ;  next  to  Shakespeare,  who 
lived  not  far  from  his  theatre,  the  Globe,  in  the 
parish  of  St.  Saviour's  Church. 


Id 
bf 


CO 
CO 


WESTMINSTER  ABBEY  :    WEST  FRONT 


WESTMINSTER  ABBEY 

DEDICATED  TO  ST.  PETER.  CHURCH  OF  A  BENEDICTINE  MON- 
ASTERY. 

SPECIAL  FEATURES:  EDWARD  THE  CONFESSOR'S  CHAPEL; 
SHRINE  OF  THE  CONFESSOR;  THE  "POETS'  CORNER"; 
HENRY  VII.'s  CHAPEL. 

WESTMINSTER  ABBEY,  though  not  a  cathedral,  is, 
perhaps,  the  most  famous  church  in  England.  It 
is,  however,  visited  on  account  of  its  historical  as- 
sociations rather  than  because  of  its  architecture. 
Yet  architects  know  full  well  that  it  is  the  equal  of 
Salisbury,  Lincoln,  Ely,  or  Canterbury.  In  it  all 
British  sovereigns  have  been  crowned  since  the 
days  of  the  Conqueror  and  in  it  rest  the  remains 
of  the  nation's  most  honoured  dead. 

According  to  tradition,  in  the  Seventh  Century, 
Siebert,  King  of  the  East  Saxons,  built  a  church  to 
St.  Peter  on  what  was  then  Thorney  Island.  It 
became  known  as  Westminster. 

Dunstan  established  a  Benedictine  monastery 
here;  but  the  Abbey  that  we  know  was  begun  by 
Edward  the  Confessor  in  1050.  This  King  died 
soon  after  the  Choir  was  finished  in  1065,  an(^  was 
buried  there.  We  gain  an  idea  of  his  church  from 
the  Bayeux  tapestry,  which  depicts  Edward  the 
Confessor's  funeral.  Some  portions  of  it  remain 
below  the  present  Choir. 

During  William  Rufus's  reign  the  transepts  and 
first  bay  of  the  nave  were  finished. 

Henry  III.  determined  to  build  a  new  church  in 
the  French  style;  and  this  was  begun  in  1245  and 
425 


426  WESTMINSTER  ABBEY 

completed  as  far  as  the  fourth  bay  of  the  nave  in 
1269.  It  is  the  most  finished  production  of  the  first 
half  of  the  Thirteenth  Century  in  England. 

Henry  III.  also  built  a  Lady-Chapel,  afterwards 
destroyed  by  Henry  VII.  for  his  exquisite  chapel — 
the  most  perfect  example  of  Perpendicular  work. 
During  the  reign  of  Richard  II.  the  old  nave  was 
reconstructed. 

To  many,  the  exterior  of  Westminster  Abbey  is 
not  as  impressive  as  St.  Paul's.  It  is  disappointing 
in  size  and  somewhat  too  narrow  for  its  height.  It 
is  only  when  we  enter  and  see  the  superb  architect- 
ure and  impressive  monuments  that  its  grandeur 
and  solemnity  grow  upon  us,  notwithstanding  the 
fact  that  the  black-gowned  vergers  conducting  par- 
ties of  tourists  from  tomb  to  tomb  and  chapel  to 
chapel,  in  business-like  fashion,  do  all  they  can  to 
dispel  reverence  by  rattling  off  stories  of  Queen 
Hanne  and  'Enery  VII.,  not  always  with  unim- 
peachable accuracy. 

"The  WEST  FRONT  is  flanked  by  two  towers  225  feet 
high,  built  by  Wren  and  finished  by  his  pupil  Hawksmoor, 
about  1740.  In  the  centre  of  the  front  is  the  great  Per- 
pendicular window,  beneath  which  is  a  row  of  niches.  The 
entrance  porch  has  a  groined  roof.  The  nave  is  remarkable 
for  its  length  and  height.  On  the  north  side  we  notice  that 
there  is  a  wealth  of  buttresses.  Strong  buttresses  support 
the  aisle  walls,  and  from  these  flying-buttresses  stretch 
across  to  the  walls  built  on  the  central  arcade.  The  four 
eastern  buttresses  comprise  the  part  of  the  church  finished 
by  Henry  III. ;  the  rest  of  the  nave,  with  the  exception 
of  Wren's  towers,  was  built  during  the  last  half  of  the 
Fourteenth  Century  and  the  beginning  of  the  Fifteenth. 
The  figures  in  the  niches  are  modern." — (P.  H.  D.) 

The  North  Front  is  new,  designed  by  Sir  G. 
Scott  and  Mr.  Pearson. 


WESTMINSTER  ABBEY  427 

"  It  is  a  very  elaborate  work  and  much  of  it  is  beautiful; 
but  it  does  not  seem  to  harmonise  with  the  rest  of  the 
building.  There  is  a  large  rose-window ;  on  each  side  tall 
buttresses  crowned  with  turrets  and  covered  with  niches. 
There  is  an  arcade  of  open-work  below  and  then  some 
deeply-recessed  Early  English  windows,  and  below  three 
doorways  under  one  string-course,  the  centre  one  having  a 
high  gable.  The  door  is  divided  by  a  pier  having  a  finely- 
carved  figure  of  the  Virgin  and  Child.  The  tympanum  is 
divided  into  three  panels.  In  the  highest  is  Our  Lord  in 
glory  surrounded  by  angels  and  below  him  are  the  Twelve 
Apostles,  while  in  the  lowest  tier  are  figures  representing 
Art,  History,  Philosophy,  War,  Legislation  and  Science, 
with  the  builders  of  the  Abbey,  Edward  the  Confessor, 
Henry  III.  and  Richard  II.  The  niches  are  filled  with 
figures  of  persons  in  some  way  connected  with  the  Abbey. 
The  Choir  is  in  the  form  of  an  apse,  with  radiating  chapels, 
planned  on  the  model  of  the  French  chevet,  according  to 
the  taste  of  Henry  III.,  which  he  had  cultivated  during  his 
sojourn  in  France.  The  Lady-Chapel  at  the  east  end, 
commonly  called  Henry  VII.'s  Chapel,  is  one  of  the  noblest 
examples  of  the  best  Perpendicular  work  in  the  kingdom, 
and  ranks  with  St.  George's  Chapel,  Windsor,  and  King's 
College,  Cambridge.  The  monastic  buildings  are  on  the 
south  side  of  the  Abbey."— (P.  H.  D.) 

The  ground  plan  is  French,  with  a  French  chevet 
and  chapels  radiating  from  the  Choir,  and  not  only 
in  the  plan  but  in  the  narrowness  and  height  of  the 
bays  of  the  Choir  and  in  the  tracery  of  the  win- 
dows. French  characteristics  declare  themselves. 
The  nave  is  bordered  with  aisles.  Beyond  the  Choir 
rises  the  central  tower ;  and  on  either  side  the  north 
and  south  transepts.  The  latter  is  known  as  the 
"  Poets'  Corner."  Beyond  comes  the  altar,  around 
which  many  tombs  crowd  closely ;  and  beyond  them 
the  North  and  South  Ambulatory.  Beyond  again 
runs  a  circle  of  chapels.  Then  beyond  this  apse  a 
flight  of  steps  leading  to  Henry  VII.'s  Chapel, 
also  crowded  with  tombs. 


428  WESTMINSTER  ABBEY 

The  Cloisters  and  Chapter-House  lie  on  the  south 
side  of  the  Abbey ;  and  on  the  right  of  the  chief  or 
West  entrance,  we  find  the  famous  Jerusalem 
Chamber,  Jericho,  and  the  Dining-Hall  and  Court 
— all  part  of  the  old  Palace  and  demonstrating  to 
strangers  from  over-sea  the  close  connection  be- 
tween the  religious  and  civic  life  of  the  British 
nation. 

"  One  never  enters  the  Abbey  Church  without  a  thrill 
of  admiration  for  the  daring  genius  who  raised  those  lofty 
vaults.  That  they  were  the  first  of  their  kind  in  Eng- 
land is  almost  certain,  but  the  name  of  their  designer 
does  not  seem  to  have  been  preserved.  It  is  more  likely 
that  he  was  an  Englishman  who  had  studied  in  France, 
than  that  he  was  a  Frenchman.  Certain  it  is  that  though 
the  plan,  if  not  all  the  design,  is  purely  French,  the  ar- 
rangement of  the  chapels  being  in  fact  peculiar  to  West- 
minster amongst  English  churches,  the  workmanship  is 
very  superior  to  that  in  any  contemporary  building  on  the 
Continent."— (W.  J.  L.) 

The  Nave  is  the  loftiest  in  England.  It  is  two 
feet  higher  than  that  of  York  Minster. 

"  The  view  of  the  interior  is  very  impressive.  Stand- 
ing at  the  west  end  of  the  nave  we  cannot  fail  to  admire  the 
magnificent  beauty  of  this  noble  shrine.  This  nave  of 
twelve  bays,  with  its  clustered  columns,  its  beautiful 
triforium,  and  its  lofty  and  firmly  proportioned  roof 
soaring  to  the  height  of  101  feet,  is  very  striking.  A 
close  inspection  will  show  the  difference  between  the  piers 
of  the  portion  finished  by  Henry  III.  and  the  newer  work 
of  the  Fourteenth  Century.  The  tracery  of  the  triforium 
openings  is  very  fine.  The  choir-screen  which  crosses  the 
nave  at  the  eighth  pier,  is  modern,  and  also  the  pulpit. 
The  west  window  is  Perpendicular,  and  has  some  Georgian 
glass  containing  figures  of  the  Patriarchs.  Much  archi- 
tectural beauty  has  been  sacrificed  for  the  sake  of  pon- 
derous monuments,  but  many  of  these  have  much  interest 


WESTMINSTER  ABBEY  429 

and    for    many    visitors    will   prove    the    most    attractive 
features   of  the  Abbey."— (P.   H.   D.) 

The  general  effect  of  the  interior  has  changed 
little  since  Washington  Irving  wrote  his  sympa- 
thetic essay  on  England's  Walhalla : 

"  I  pursued  my  walk  to  an  arched  door  opening  to  the 
interior  of  the  Abbey.  On  entering  here  the  magnitude  of 
the  building  breaks  fully  upon  the  mind,  contrasted  with 
the  vaults  of  the  cloisters.  The  eye  gazes  with  wonder  at 
clustered  columns  of  gigantic  dimensions  with  arches 
springing  from  them  to  such  an  amazing  height;  and  man 
wandering  about  their  bases  shrunk  into  insignificance  in 
comparison  with  his  own  handiwork.  The  spaciousness 
and  gloom  of  this  vast  edifice  produce  a  profound  and 
mysterious  awe.  We  step  cautiously  and  softly  about  as 
if  fearful  of  disturbing  the  hallowed  silence  of  the  tomb; 
while  every  footfall  whispers  along  the  walls,  and  chatters 
among  the  sepulchres,  making  us  more  sensible  of  the 
quiet  we  have  interrupted. 

"It  seems  as  if  the  awful  nature  of  the  place  presses 
down  upon  the  soul,  and  hushes  the  beholder  into  noise- 
less reverence.  We  feel  that  we  are  surrounded  by  the 
congregated  bones  of  the  great  men  of  past  times  who  have 
filled  history  with  their  deeds  and  the  earth  with  their 
renown. 

"  I  passed  some  time  in  Poets*  Corner,  which  occupies 
an  end  of  one  of  the  transepts,  or  cross  aisles  of  the 
Abbey.  The  monuments  are  generally  simple;  for  the 
lives  of  literary  men  afford  no  striking  themes  for  the 
sculptor.  Shakespeare  and  Addison  have  statues  erected 
to  their  memories,  but  the  greater  part  have  busts, 
medallions  and  sometimes  mere  inscriptions. 

"  From .  Poets'  Corner  I  continued  my  stroll  towards 
that  part  of  the  Abbey  which  contains  the  sepulchres  of 
the  kings.  I  wandered  among  what  once  were  chapels,  but 
which  are  now  occupied  by  the  tombs  and  monuments  of 
the  great.  At  every  turn  I  met  with  some  illustrious 
name,  or  the  cognizance  of  some  powerful  house  renowned 
in  history.  As  the  eye  darts  into  these  dusky  chambers 
of  death,  it  catches  glimpses  of  quaint  effigies :  some 


430  WESTMINSTER  ABBEY 

kneeling  in  niches,  as  if  in  devotion ;  others  stretched  upon 
the  tombs,  with  hands  piously  pressed  together ;  warriors  in 
armour,  as  if  reposing  after  battle;  prelates,  with  crosiers 
and  mitres ;  and  nobles  in  robes  and  coronets,  lying  as  it 
were  in  state.  In  glancing  over  this  scene,  so  strangely 
populous,  yet  where  every  form  is  so  still  and  silent,  it 
seems  almost  as  if  we  were  treading  a  mansion  of  that 
fabled  city,  where  every  being  had  been  suddenly  trans- 
muted into  stone." 

The  West  Window  dates  from  the  reign  of 
George  II. ,  whose  arms  are  in  the  centre.  It  con- 
tains twenty-four  large  and  fourteen  small  com- 
partments depicting  Moses,  Aaron  and  the  patri- 
archs. 

The  North-west  Tower,  also  called  Belfry 
Tower,  has  been  called  the  "  Whigs'  Corner/'  on 
account  of  the  monuments  there.  The  glass  in  the 
window  is  old.  The  south-west,  or  Baptistery 
Tower,  used  to  contain  the  font  (now  in  Henry 
VII. 's  Chapel).  Here  are  also  many  monuments 
and  busts.  The  stained  glass  window,  in  memory 
of  George  Herbert  and  William  Cowper,  was  the 
gift  of  Mr.  G.  W.  Childs,  of  Philadelphia. 

The  nave  pulpit  was  placed  here  in  1862;  and 
though  the  inner  stone-work  of  the  Choir-screen 
is  of  the  Thirteenth  Century,  what  is  visible  is 
modern. 

"  The  splendid  arcade  which  forms  the  TRIFORIUM  is 
one  of  the  greatest  glories  of  Westminster,  for  it  is  filled 
with  tracery  similar  in  every  respect  to  the  best  window 
tracery  of  the  Early  English  period.  Above  the  triforium 
comes  the  grand  tier  of  windows  composing  the  clerestory. 
Each  is  divided  by  a  single  central  mullion  which,  in  the 
older  portions,  terminates  with  two  plain  arches  sur- 
mounted by  a  circle  foliated  in  six  divisions,  and  in  the 
newer  portions  with  trefoil-headed  arches  surmounted  by 
a  circle  divided  into  only  four  parts.  The  fine  vaulting, 


WESTMINSTER  ABBEY  431 

of  which  the  rib-work  is  enriched  with  sculptured  bosses 
at  its  points  of  intersection,  completes  the  centre  of  the 
nave  in  such  a  fashion  that  its  decorative  effect  is  in 
complete  harmony  with  the  richness  of  the  arch  mould- 
ings."-(C.  H.) 

The  aisles  are  greatly  disfigured  by  the  innumer- 
able monuments.  Much  beautiful  sculpture  has  been 
cut  away  to  make  room  for  them.  The  north  aisle 
has  one  doorway ;  the  south  aisle  has  three,  two  of 
which  lead  into  the  Cloisters  and  the  third  (the 
most  western  one)  into  the  Deanery.  Above  it  is 
the  Abbot's  Pew,  an  oaken  gallery  built  by  Abbot 
Islip  early  in  the  Sixteenth  Century. 

The  most  important  monument  in  the  north  aisle 
is  that  of  Ben  Jonson,  with  the  famous  inscription 
"  O  rare  Ben  Jonson."  In  the  south  aisle  lies  Major 
John  Andre. 

The  Transepts  of  Westminster  Abbey  contain 
some  of  the  most  beautiful  work  that  can  be  found 
anywhere. 

The  North  Transept  is  entered  by  the  famous 
Solomon's  Porch.  It  consists  of  four  bays  and  is 
bordered  with  aisles.  The  eastern  aisle  is  divided 
into  three  chapels — St.  Andrew,  St.  Michael  and 
St.  John  the  Evangelist — all  of  which  are  filled  with 
monuments. 

"  The  transept  end  consists  of  five  stages,  of  which  the 
lowest  is  composed  of  four  obtusely  pointed  arches,  two 
of  them  being  doorways.  The  spandrels  are  very  richly 
sculptured.  In  the  second  compartment  is  an  arcade  of  six 
trefoil-headed  arches  springing  from  clustered  columns. 
Above  this  arcade  are  six  lancet  windows  on  slender 
columns.  The  soffits  of  the  arches  are  decorated  with 
sculpture  and  at  both  ends  there  are  statues  in  niches.  The 
fourth  stage  is  a  continuation  of  the  triforium  arcade. 
There  are  three  arches,  each  enclosing  two  trefoiled  arches, 


432  WESTMINSTER  ABBEY 

with  a  cinquefoiled  circle  between  them.  It  is  possible 
that  there  were  once  windows  in  this  compartment,  but 
these  have  been  filled  up.  The  transept  end  is  completed 
by  a  great  rose-window  filled  with  modern  stained  glass 
representing  the  Apostles  and  Evangelists.  Here  we  find 
the  celebrated  CENSING.  ANGELS. 

"  The  triforium  is  the  place  from  which  we  can  best 
see  those  famous  sculptures  known  as  the  '  censing  angels.' 
The  artist  who  placed  these  figures  in  the  north  and  south 
transepts  must  have  had  a  genius  which  brought  him  nearer 
to  the  great  Greek  sculptors  of  the  Periclean  period  than 
any  who  has  lived  since  their  time.  What  must  the  central 
statues  have  been  like  to  be  worthy  of  such  accessories? 
Perhaps  if  one  had  to  select  the  best  public  statue  in  Eng- 
land, it  would  be  impossible  to  overlook  the  angel  on  the 
north  transept  on  the  western  side.  He  appears  to  be 
literally  hovering  in  the  air,  or  rather — for  this  the  sculptor 
has  most  marvellously  expressed — he  is  supposed  to  be 
swinging  his  censer  in  the  presence  of  his  Lord,  and  to  be 
floating  in  a  sea  of  light,  which  forces  him  to  bow  his 
head  and  avert  his  face  from  its  dazzling  effulgence." — 
(W.  J.  L.) 

Among  the  monuments  in  the  north  transept  the 
most  interesting  are  to  Admiral  Vernon,  George 
Canning,  D'Israeli,  Gladstone,  Sir  Robert  Peel, 
William  Pitt  and  Warren  Hastings. 

The  South  Transept  is  popularly  known  as  the 
Poets'  Corner,  a  name  given  by  Goldsmith.  It  is 
so  crowded  with  tombs  and  cenotaphs  that  the  archi- 
tectural features  are  rarely  noticed.  It  is  not  uni- 
form with  the  north  transept  though  both  are  of 
Henry  III.'s  reign,  Early  English  merging  into 
Decorated.  A  door  in  the  south  wall  leads  into  the 
Chapel  of  St.  Faith,  long  used  as  a  vestry  and  now 
as  a  chapel  for  private  prayer. 

The  most  interesting  tomb  here  is  that  of  Geof- 
frey Chaucer,  who  for  years  lived  in  a  house  in 
the  monastery  garden  pulled  down  to  make  room 


w 
fc 

a 


(2 


Cd 

PQ 


as 
w 
H 


s 

w 


WESTMINSTER  ABBEY:   CHOIR,  EAST 


WESTMINSTER  ABBEY  433 

for  Henry  VII. 's  Chapel.  It  is  a  small  altar-tomb 
supposed  to  date  from  1451,  with  a  canopy  of  Pur- 
beck  marble  of  later  date.  The  memorial  window 
above  dates  from  1868.  Here  lie  Dryden,  Francis 
Beaumont,  Browning,  Tennyson  and  Edmund 
Spencer  among  others ;  and  a  bust  of  Longfellow 
was  placed  here  in  1884. 

"  The  Choir,  which  has  been  the  scene  of  so  many 
solemn  and  memorable  services,  has  no  ancient  woodwork. 
The  stalls  were  erected  about  the  middle  of  the  last  cen- 
tury. The  altar  and  reredos  are  modern.  There  are 
some  large  figures,  and  a  mosaic  of  the  Last  Supper. 
Here  the  coronations  of  our  monarchs  take  place.  The 
pavement  is  interesting,  as  it  was  brought  from  Rome  by 
Abbot  Ware  in  1268,  and  beneath  it  he  rests  with  other 
abbots  of  Westminster.  The  sedilia  are  Thirteenth  Cen- 
tury work,  and  were  decorated  with  paintings.  The  figures 
of  King  Siebert,  the  first  founder,  and  of  Henry  III.,  the 
munificent  re-founder,  remain.  Above  the  base  of  the 
tomb  of  Anne  of  Cleves,  one  of  Henry  VIII.'s  many 
wives,  is  a  remarkable  painting  of  Richard  II. ,  and  behind 
it  some  ancient  tapestry." — (P.  H.  D.) 

On  the  north  side  of  the  sanctuary  three  ancient 
tombs  harmonise  perfectly  with  their  architectural 
surroundings.  The  most  westerly  is  that  of  Aveline 
of  Lancaster,  who  died  about  1273,  a  wealthy  heir- 
ess, daughter  of  the  Earl  of  Albemarle,  who  was 
married  in  the  Abbey  in  1269  to  Edmund  Crouch- 
back,  Earl  of  Lancaster,  younger  son  of  Henry  III. 
A  single  cusped  arch  with  a  high  gable  in  the  span- 
drel of  which  is  a  trefoiled  panel  forms  the  canopy. 
Two  dogs  are  at  the  feet  of  the  effigy  draped  in 
flowing  mantle.  The  tomb  is  Early  Decorated. 
Next  comes  the  tomb  of  Aymer  de  Valence,  Earl  of 
Pembroke  (died  1323).  The  Earl,  in  full  armour, 
rests  his  feet  on  a  lion  couchant.  Beyond  is  the 


434  WESTMINSTER  ABBEY 

tomb  of  Edmund  Crouchback  (died  1296).  The 
effigy  of  the  Earl  in  chain  armour  lies  under  a  triple 
canopy,  richly  ornamented.  The  aisles  are  crowded 
with  tombs  and  monuments.  The  aisles  of  the  choir 
are  filled  with  tombs  and  monuments. 

Behind  the  altar  is  situated  the  Confessor's 
Chapel  containing  the  famous  Shrine  of  Edward 
the  Confessor. 

"  When  we  enter  St.  Edward's  Chapel,  or  the  Chapel  of 
the  Kings  (Capella  Regum),  we  find  ourselves  in  what 
may  fairly  be  described  as  the  most  important  part  of  the 
Abbey,  alike  from  the  ecclesiastical  and  historical  points 
of  view.  The  chapel  is  distinguished  from  the  rest  of 
the  church  by  its  superior  height  above  the  ground.  In  the 
centre  is  the  Confessor's  shrine,  around  which  are  the 
tombs  of  five  Kings  and  six  Queens  of  England.  The 
entrance  is  by  some -wooden  steps  through  a  small  space 
between  one  of  the  columns  and  Edward  I.'s  tomb.  The 
chapel  is  separated  from  the  sanctuary  by  a  Fifteenth 
Century  screen,  which,  though  much  mutilated,  is  still 
beautiful.  The  sculptures  deal  with  the  life  and  visions  of 
the  Confessor."— (C.  H.) 

The  Confessor's  Shrine,  though  mutilated,  is 
the  most  important  monument  in  the  Abbey.  The 
present  tomb  was  finished  in  1269  at  the  instance  of 
King  Henry,  and  was  the  work  of  one  Peter,  a 
Roman  citizen.  At  the  Dissolution  of  the  Monas- 
teries the  body  of  the  King  was  removed  and  the 
golden  ornaments  of  the  tomb  disappeared;  but  in 
Queen  Mary's  time  Abbot  Feckenham  had  the  body 
re-interred,  the  shrine  repaired  and  the  wooden 
superstructure  erected.  James  II.  had  the  old  coffin 
enclosed  in  another  case.  This  remains  still  within 
the  shrine. 

On  the  north  side  of  the  shrine  is  the  Tomb  of 
Henry  III.,  of  two  stages,  in  the  upper  one  of  which 


WESTMINSTER  ABBEY  435 

the  body  rests.  An  effigy  in  gilt  bronze  rests  on  the 
top.  Next  is  the  tomb  of  Edward  I.  On  the  other 
side  (east)  lies  Eleanor  of  Castile  (died  1290)  in 
a  tomb  of  Purbeck  marble,  the  sides  of  which  are 
embellished  with  trefoiled  heads,  a  fine  example  of 
Gothic,  probably  designed  by  Torel.  Immediately 
behind  the  Confessor's  Shrine  comes  the  Chantry 
of  Henry  V.  (where  an  altar  once  stood).  It  is  a 
splendid  piece  of  ornate  Perpendicular  work,  with 
elaborate  sculptured  figures  representing  St.  George, 
St.  Denys  and  the  story  of  the  hero's  life — his 
fights,  coronation  and  court.  The  effigy  is  muti- 
lated. Above  the  tomb  hang  the  monarch's  shield, 
saddle  and  helmet,  which  were  carried  in  his  funeral 
procession. 

The  next  tomb  is  that  of  Queen  Philippa  of 
Hainault,  Queen  of  Edward  III.,  who  died  in  1369. 
Next  comes  Edward  III.  (died  1377)  and  next  that 
of  Richard  II.  and  his  first  wife,  Anne  of  Bohemia. 
Next,  Siebert's  Tomb,  consisting  of  an  arched  re- 
cess in  the  wall  and  supposed  to  contain  the  body  of 
the  legendary  founder  of  the  Abbey.  It  dates  from 
1308.  Next  comes  the  tomb  of  Anne  of  Cleves. 

In  this  chapel  stand  the  Coronation  Chairs.  The 
one  on  the  left  was  made  in  the  reign  of  Edward  I. 
to  enclose  the  stone  of  Scone,  supposed  to  be  the 
stone  on  which  Jacob  slept  at  Beth-el.  The  chair 
was  once  painted  and  jewelled.  The  other  chair 
was  made  for  the  coronation  of  William  and  Mary. 
Between  these  hang  the  sword  and  shield  of  state 
of  Edward  III.,  used  at  his  and  all  other  corona- 
tions. 

The  little  Chapel  of  St.  Benedict  is  closed  to 
the  public.  Under  an  arch  is  an  altar  tomb  of  four 
children  of  Henry  III.  and  four  of  Edward  I. 


436  WESTMINSTER  ABBEY 

Then  comes  St.  Edmund's  Chapel,  filled  with 
tombs ;  then  St.  Nicholas's  Chapel,  separated  from 
the  ambulatory  by  an  embattled  stone  screen  (Per- 
pendicular), probably  erected  in  the  reign  of  Henry 
IV.  On  the  other  side  of  the  steps  leading  to  Henry 
VI'I/s  Chapel  is  St.  Paul's  Chapel,  corresponding 
with  St.  Nicholas's  Chapel.  Next  we  find  the 
Chapel  of  St.  John  Baptist  with  the  Chapel  of 
St.  Erasmus  forming  the  entrance.  The  door- 
way, dating  from  the  reign  of  Richard  II.,  is  beau- 
tiful, a  low  arch,  supported  by  clustered  pillars. 
Next  to  this  comes  Islip's  Chapel,  screened  off  and 
vaulted  by  Abbot  Islip  (died  1532),  to  hold  his  own 
tomb.  The  abbot's  rebus,  an  eye  with  a  slip  of  a  tree 
grasped  in  a  hand,  or  a  man  slipping  from  the 
branch  of  a  tree,  occurs  frequently  inside  and  out- 
side the  chapel.  In  the  upper  part  of  Islip's  chapel 
are  preserved  the  remarkable  collection  of  wax- 
works. 

"  The  wax-works  of  Westminster  Abbey  have  not  been 
seen  by  many  people,  but  are  deservedly  famous.  At  first, 
it  was  customary  when  a  king  or  any  other  great  personage 
was  to  be  buried,  to  place  on  the  coffin  his  effigy  formed 
of  boiled  leather.  When  the  art  of  modelling  in  cuir 
bouilli  was  lost,  wax  was  employed  for  making  the  image, 
and  wax,  notwithstanding  its  proverbial  pliancy,  is  a  very 
enduring  substance.  From  the  north  aisle  of  the  apse 
we  ascend  a  narrow  staircase,  passing  by  the  way  some 
of  the  most  beautiful  sculpture  in  the  Abbey  fronting  the 
chapel  of  Abbot  Islip.  At  a  turn  in  the  stair  which  leads 
to  a  kind  of  upper  gallery  we  are  suddenly  confronted  with 
the  lifelike  figure  of  King  Charles  II.,  whose  face,  as 
rendered  familiar  by  numerous  and  contemporary  engrav- 
ings, with  its  black  eyes  and  swarthy  complexion,  looks  out 
from  behind  the  glass  of  a  cupboard  only  a  few  inches 
from  the  spot  we  have  reached.  The  royal  figure  is 
dressed  in  crimson  velvet,  now  sadly  browned,  and  adorned 


WESTMINSTER  APBEY:   HENRY  VIPs  CHAPEI, 


WESTMINSTER  ABBEY  437 

with  the  finest  lace  of  the  period.  When  we  have  re- 
covered composure  and  breath,  and  can  look  around,  we 
find  ourselves  in  the  presence  of  a  series  of  most  inter- 
esting and  curious  portraits.  The  wooden  presses,  with 
glass  fronts,  are,  to  judge  from  the  pattern  of  the  hinges, 
of  about  the  time  of  the  monarch  whose  effigy  was  the 
first  to  confront  us.  The  rest,  taken  chronologically,  con- 
sist of  ten  figures  beginning  with  Queen  Elizabeth  and 
ending  with  Lord  Nelson,  but  neither  of  these,  the  first 
and  last,  were  really  funeral  effigies." — (W.  J.  L.) 

Directly  behind  the  Confessor's  Chapel  we  come 
to  Henry  VII.'s  Chapel,  originally  designed  to 
hold  the  remains  of  Henry  VI.,  who  was  buried  at 
Windsor,  but  the  plan  was  not  carried  out. 

"  At  the  entrance  to  the  chapel  we  are  brought  to  what 
Dean  Stanley  calls  a  '  solemn  architectural  pause.'  Here 
we  may  study  three  distinct  architectural  periods.  '  First/ 
as  Mr.  Loftie  says,  *  there  is  the  early  work  of  Henry  III., 
who,  it  will  be  remembered,  made  a  Lady-Chapel  here 
before  he  recommenced  the  rebuilding  of  the  Confessor's 
church.  Secondly,  the  next  pier  shows  us  the  work  done 
when  the  body  of  Henry  V.  was  brought  hither  from 
France  in  1422.  Lastly,  alongside  of  these  two  is  the  first 
column  of  the  new  and  gorgeous  structure  with  which 
Henry  VII.  replaced  the  Lady-Chapel  of  Henry  III.'  The 
dimness  of  the  approach  materially  enhances  the  effect  of 
the  superb  building  beyond,  and  it  cannot  be  doubted 
that  this  comparative  gloom,  so  far  from  being  an  accident, 
was  deliberately  intended.  The  building  of  the  chapel  occu- 
pied the  first  twelve  years  of  the  Sixteenth  Century.  It 
measures  inside  104  feet  6  inches  long  by  69  feet  10 
inches  broad,  and  consists  of  a  nave  and  aisles  of  four 
bays,  the  nave  terminating  in  five  small  polygonal  chapels, 
the  style  throughout  being  Perpendicular.  The  entrance 
is  under  a  large  central  and  two  smaller  side  arches,  which 
have  six  bronze  doors  of  superb  design  and  splendid 
workmanship,  in  which  a  number  of  Henry  VII.'s  devices 
appear."— (C.  H.) 

Washington  Irving's  impressions  were  as  follows ; 


438  WESTMINSTER  ABBEY 

"  I  stood  before  the  entrance  to  Henry  the  Seventh's 
Chapel.  A  flight  of  steps  leads  up  to  it,  through  a  deep 
and  gloomy,  but  magnificent  arch.  Great  gates  of  brass, 
rich  and  delicately  wrought,  turn  heavily  upon  their  hinges, 
as  if  proudly  reluctant  to  admit  the  feet  of  common  mortals 
into  this  most  gorgeous  of  sepulchres. 

"  On  entering,  the  eye  is  astonished  by  the  pomp  of 
architecture  and  the  elaborate  beauty  of  sculptured  detail. 
The  very  walls  are  wrought  into  universal  ornament, 
encrusted  with  tracery  and  scooped  into  niches,  crowded 
with  the  statues  of  saints  and  martyrs.  Stone  seems,  by 
the  cunning  labour  of  the  chisel,  to  have  been  robbed  of  its 
weight  and  density,  suspended  aloft,  as  if  by  magic,  and  the 
fretted  roof  achieved  with  the  wonderful  minuteness  and 
airy  security  of  a  cobweb. 

"  Along  the  sides  of  the  chapel  are  the  lofty  stalls  of  the 
Knights  of  the  Bath,  richly  carved  of  oak,  though  with 
the  grotesque  decorations  of  Gothic  architecture.  On  the 
pinnacles  of  the  stalls  are  affixed  the  helmets  and  crests 
of  the  knights  with  their  scarfs  and  swords ;  and  above 
them  are  suspended  their  banners,  emblazoned  with  armorial 
bearings,  and  contrasting  the  splendour  of  gold  and  pur- 
ple and  crimson,  with  the  cold  grey  fretwork  of  the  roof. 
In  the  midst  of  this  grand  mausoleum  stands  the  sepulchre 
of  its  founder, — his  effigy,  with  that  of  his  queen,  extended 
on  a  sumptuous  tomb,  and  the  whole  surrounded  by  a 
superbly  wrought  brazen  railing. 

"  There  is  a  sad  dreariness  in  this  magnificence ;  this 
strange  mixture  of  tombs  and  trophies;  these  emblems  of 
living  and  aspiring  ambition,  close  beside  mementoes 
which  show  the  dust  and  oblivion  in  which  all  must  sooner 
or  later  terminate. 

"  Two  small  aisles  on  each  side  of  this  chapel  present  a 
touching  instance  of  the  equality  of  the  grave,  which 
brings  down  the  oppressor  to  a  level  with  the  oppressed, 
and  mingles  the  dust  of  the  bitterest  enemies  together. 
In  one  is  the  sepulchre  of  the  haughty  Elizabeth;  in  the 
other  is  that  of  her  victim,  the  lovely  and  unfortunate 
Mary.  Not  an  hour  in  the  day  but  some  ejaculation  of  pity 
is  uttered  over  the  fate  of  the  latter,  mingled  with  indig- 
nation at  her  oppressor.  The  walls  of  Elizabeth's  sepulchre 


WESTMINSTER  ABBEY  439 

continually  echo  with  the  sighs  of  sympathy  heaved  at  the 
grave  of  her  rival. 

"A  peculiar  melancholy  reigns  over  the  aisle  where 
Mary  lies  buried.  The  light  struggles  dimly  through  win- 
dows darkened  by  dust.  The  greater  part  of  the  place  is  in 
deep  shadow,  and  the  walls  are  stained  and  tinted  by  time 
and  weather.  A  marble  figure  of  Mary  is  stretched  upon  the 
tomb,  round  which  is  an  iron  railing  much  corroded,  bearing 
her  national  emblem — the  thistle." 

Dean  Stanley  writes: 

"  It  was  to  be  his  chantry  as  well  as  his  tomb,  for  he  was 
determined  not  to  be  behind  the  Lancastrian  princes  in 
devotion;  and  this  unusual  anxiety  for  the  sake  of  a  soul 
not  too  heavenward  in  its  affections  expended  itself  in 
the  immense  apparatus  of  service  which  he  provided.  Al- 
most a  second  Abbey  was  needed  to  contain  the  new  estab- 
lishment of  monks  who  were  to  sing  in  their  stalls  '  as 
long  as  the  world  shall  endure.'  Almost  a  second  shrine 
surrounded  by  its  blazing  tapers  and  shining  like  gold  with 
its  glittering  bronze,  was  to  contain  his  remains. 

"  To  the  Virgin  Mary,  to  whom  the  chapel  was  dedi- 
cated, he  had  a  special  devotion.  Her  '  in  all  his  necessities 
he  had  made  his  continual  refuge ' ;  and  her  figure,  ac- 
cordingly, looks  down  upon  his  grave  from  the  east  end, 
between  the  apostolic  patrons  of  the  Abbey,  Peter  and 
Paul,  with  '  the  holy  company  of  heaven — that  is  to  say, 
angels,  archangels,  patriarchs,  prophets,  apostles,  evan- 
gelists, martyrs,  confessors  and  virgins/  to  '  whose  singu- 
lar mediation  and  prayers  he  also  trusted/  including  the 
royal  saints  of  Britain,  St.  Edward,  St.  Edmund,  St. 
Oswald,  St.  Margaret  of  Scotland,  who  stand,  as  he  di- 
rected, sculptured  tier  above  tier,  on  every  side  of  the 
Chapel;  some  retained  from  the  ancient  Lady-Chapel;  the 
greater  part  of  the  work  of  his  own  age.  Around  his 
tomb  stand  his  '  accustomed  Avours  or  guardian  saints 
to  whom  he  calls  and  cries ' — St.  Michael,  St.  John  the 
Baptist,  St.  John  the  Evangelist,  St.  George,  St.  An- 
thony, St.  Edward,  St.  Vincent,  St.  Anne,  St.  Mary  Magda- 
lene and  St.  Barbara,  each  with  their  peculiar  emblems — 
'  so  to  aid,  succour  and  defend  him,  that  the  ancient  and 
ghostly  enemy,  nor  none  other  evil  or  damnable  spirit,  have 


440  WESTMINSTER  ABBEY 

no  power  to  invade  him,  nor  with  their  wickedness  to 
annoy  him,  but  with  holy  prayers  to  be  intercessors  to 
his  Maker  and  Redeemer.'  These  were  the  adjurations  of 
the  last  Mediaeval  King,  as  the  Chapel  was  the  climax  of 
the  latest  Mediaeval  architecture." 

"  But  although  the  Chapel  hangs  on  tenaciously  to  the 
skirts  of  the  ancient  Abbey  and  the  ancient  Church,  yet 
that  solemn  architectural  pause  between  the  two — which 
arrests  the  most  careless  observer,  and  renders  it  a  sepa- 
rate structure,  a  foundation  'adjoining  the  Abbey/  rather 
than  forming  part  of  it — corresponds  with  marvellous 
fidelity  to  the  pause  and  break  in  English  history  of 
which  Henry  VII.'s  reign  is  the  expression.  It  is  the 
close  of  the  Middle  Ages :  the  apple  of  Granada  in  its 
ornaments  shows  that  the  last  Crusade  was  over;  its 
flowing  draperies  and  classical  attributes  indicate  that 
the  Renaissance  had  already  begun.  It  is  the  end  of  the 
Wars  of  the  Roses  combining  Henry's  right  of  conquest 
with  his  fragile  claim  of  hereditary  descent.  On  the  one 
hand,  it  is  a  glorification  of  the  victory  of  Bosworth.  The 
angels  at  the  four  corners  of  the  tomb,  held  or  hold  the 
likeness  of  the  crown  which  he  won  on  that  famous  day. 
In  the  stained  glass  we  see  the  same  crown  hanging  on  the 
green  bush  in  the  fields  of  Leicestershire.  On  the  other 
hand,  like  the  Chapel  of  King's  College  at  Cambridge,  it 
asserts  everywhere  the  memory  of  the  '  holy  Henry's 
shade';  the  Red  Rose  of  Lancaster  appears  in  every 
pane  of  glass:  in  every  corner  is  the  Portcullis — the 
Alters  securitas,  as  he  termed  it,  with  an  allusion  to  its 
own  meaning,  and  the  double  safeguard  of  his  succession — 
which  he  derived  through  John  of  Gaunt  from  the  Beau- 
fort Castle  in  Anjou  inherited  from  Blanche  of  Navarre 
by  Edmund  Crouchback;  whilst  Edward  IV.  and  Elizabeth 
of  York  are  commemorated  by  intertwining  these  Lan- 
castrian symbols  with  the  Greyhound  of  Cecilia  Neville, 
wife  of  Richard,  Duke  of  York,  with  the  Rose  in  the 
Sun,  which  scattered  the  mist  at  Barnet,  and  the  Falcon 
on  the  Fetterlock,  by  which  the  first  Duke  of  York  ex- 
pressed to  his  descendants  that  '  he  was  locked  up  from  the 
hope  of  the  kingdom,  but  advising  them  to  be  quiet  and 
silent,  as  God  knoweth  what  may  come  to  pass.' 

"  It   is   also   the   revival   of   the   ancient   Celtic-British 


s 

u 


cq 
M 


e/3 


WESTMINSTER  ABBEY  441 

element  in  the  English  monarchy,  after  centuries  of  eclipse. 
It  is  a  strange  and  striking  thought,  as  we  mount  the  steps 
of  Henry  VII.'s  Chapel,  that  we  enter  there  a  mausoleum 
of  princes,  whose  boast  it  was  to  be  descended  not  from 
the  Confessor  or  the  Conqueror,  but  from  Arthur  and 
Llewellyn;  and  that  roundabout  the  tomb,  side  by  side 
with  the  emblems  of  the  great  English  Houses,  is  to  be 
seen  the  Red  Dragon  of  the  last  British  King  Cadwallader 
— '  the  dragon  of  the  great  Pendragonship,'  of  Wales, 
thrust  forward  by  the  Tudor  King  in  every  direction,  to 
supplant  the  hated  White  Boar  of  his  departed  enemy — 
the  fulfilment,  in  another  sense  than  the  old  Welsh  bards 
had  dreamt,  of  their  prediction  that  the  progeny  of 
Cadwallader  should  reign  again." — (A.  P.  S.) 

And  now  we  will  begin  a  more  detailed  survey: 

"We  now  enter  Henry  VII.'s  Chapel,  the  most  perfect 
example  of  the  Perpendicular  style  at  its  best  in  the  coun- 
try. At  the  entrance  are  beautiful  bronze  doors  covered 
with  designs  symbolical  of  the  titles  of  the  Royal  founder. 
It  is  impossible  to  describe  in  words  the  richness  and 
beauty  of  the  interior  of  this  noble  chapel.  The  vault  is 
very  beautiful  with  fan-tracery.  The  banners  of  the 
Knights  of  the  Order  of  the  Bath  hang  over  their  stalls. 
The  misereres  are  wonderfully  carved,  and  are  worthy  of 
close  examination.  The  black  marble  tomb  of  the  founder 
is  considered  to  be  the  best  example  of  the  Renaissance 
style  in  England.  It  was  fashioned  by  Torregiano.  Very 
numerous  monuments  are  found  here.  The  tombs  of  Mary 
Queen  of  Scots  and  of  Queen  Elizabeth  have  especial  inter- 
est. Oliver  Cromwell's  body  once  lay  in  the  most  eastern 
chapel,  but  the  Royalists  at  the  Restoration  wrought 
vengeance  on  his  corpse,  and  on  that  of  other  regicides, 
and  did  not  suffer  them  to  remain  in  these  hallowed  pre- 
cincts."—(P.  H.  D.) 

The  tombs  that  attract  the  most  attention  are 
those  of  Queen  Elizabeth  and  Mary,  Queen  of 
Scots.  Queen  Elizabeth's,  erected  by  James  I., 
consists  of  a  canopy  supported  on  ten  Corinthian 
pillars,  under  which  the  effigy  of  the  queen  lies  on 


442  WESTMINSTER  ABBEY 

a  slab  borne  by  lions.  Mary  I.  rests  in  the  same 
tomb.  Mary  Stuart's  tomb  bears  an  effigy.  At  her 
feet  is  the  crowned  lion  of  Scotland.  Her  body  was 
removed  from  Peterborough  (see  page  331)  by 
James  I. 

From  the  east  walk  of  the  Cloisters,  finished  in 
1345,  we  enter  the  Chapter- House,  dating  from 
1350.  It  is  octagonal  and  is  noted  for  its  fine 
tracery.  The  House  of  Commons  used  to  meet  here 
(before  1340).  The  speaker  sat  in  the  abbot's 
seat. 

"  The  Chapter-House  is  visited  by  comparatively  few  of 
the  myriads  who  come  to  the  Abbey ;  but  those  who  know 
what  to  look  for  may  well  linger  for  some  time  in  this 
deeply  interesting  building.  The  splendour  and  loveliness 
of  the  entrance  to  it  show  the  important  place  which  it 
held  in  the  general  estimation;  the  stones  under  the  left 
arcade  of  the  vestibule  are  still  deeply  worn  by  the  feet 
of  generations  of  monks,  as  they  walked  two  and  two  to 
their  weekly  assemblies.  The  vaulting  and  its  bosses  are 
quaint  and  rich.  The  quaint  entrance  door  itself,  bleared 
and  ruined  as  it  now  is,  was  once  rich  with  gold  and 
scarlet. 

"  Entering  the  Chapter-House  we  see  at  a  glance  an 
octagon  of  the  noblest  proportions,  of  which  the  roof  is 
supported  by  a  slender  and  graceful  pillar  of  polished 
Purbeck,  thirty-five  feet  high,  *  surrounded  by  eight  sub- 
ordinate shafts,  attached  to  it  by  three  moulded  bands/ 
The  painted  windows  were  placed  there  as  a  memorial  to 
Dean  Stanley.  One  was  given  by  the  Queen,  and  one  by 
Americans.  In  the  central  light  at  the  summit  of  each  is 
represented  the  greatest  man  of  each  century — the  Ven- 
erable Bede,  St.  Anselm,  Roger  Bacon,  Chaucer,  Caxton 
and  Shakespeare.  In  the  window  over  the  door  is  Queen 
Victoria.  The  central  band  of  the  windows  represents 
many  of  the  great  historical  events  connected  with  the 
Abbey."— (F.  W.  F.) 

"The  Chapel  of  the  Pyx  is  approached  from  the  East 
Cloister  Walk  by  a  massive  door  with  seven  locks.  It  is 


WESTMINSTER  ABBEY  443 

beneath  the  old  dormitory  and  occupies  two  bays  of  the 
Confessor's  building,  and,  historically  considered,  is  per- 
haps the  most  interesting  portion  of  the  Abbey  buildings. 
The  pyx  is  a  box  containing  the  standard  pieces  of  gold 
and  silver  coin  of  the  realm  which  were  used  for  testing 
the  accuracy  of  the  currency.  It  has  now  been  removed  to 
the  Mint,  where  the  trial  of  the  pyx  takes  place." — (C.  H.) 

The  Cloisters  with  their  arches,  beautiful  tracery 
and  ancient  memorials  are  strangely  impressive, 
particularly  as  they  are  situated  in  the  midst  of  Lon- 
don's roar;  yet  here  there  is  quiet. 

The  most  famous  part  of  the  Deanery  is  the 
Jerusalem  Chamber  projecting  just  beyond  the 
south-west  tower.  It  probably  was  so  called  on 
account  of  the  tapestry  representing  the  history  of 
Jerusalem  that  adorned  it.  Henry  IV.  died  in  it 
in  1413,  according  to  the  prophecy  that  he  should 
die  in  Jerusalem.  (See  Henry  IV.,  Part  II.,  Act 
IV.,  Scene  4.)  In  this  room  the  Assembly  of  Di- 
vines met  in  1643 ;  and  the  Revisers  of  the  Old  and 
New  Testaments  of  late  years.  A  small  room  with 
carved  panelling,  built  by  Abbot  Islip,  leading  from 
it,  is  known  as  the  Jericho  Parlour. 


INDEX 


Abbey  of  St.  Werburgh,  215. 
Abbot's  Cloister,  171. 
Abbot's  Pew,  431. 
Abbots  of  St.  Albans,  360- 

361. 

Aisles,  Five,  71. 
Aldred,  152,  153. 
Alfred,  King,  46,  47,  49. 
Alleyn,  Edward,  424. 
Altar :  —  Canterbury,        16 ; 

Chester,  219;  of  the  Mar- 
tyrdom, 3 ;  St.  Paul's,  409 ; 

of  the  Sword's  Point,  3; 

of  the  Virgin,  4. 
Ambulatories :  —  Exeter, 

102;  Gloucester,  162. 
Amen  Corner,  398. 
Andre,  Major  John  (tomb), 

431. 
Andrews,    Bishop     (tomb), 

422. 
Angel  Choir,  285,  289,  298- 

300,  307,  309. 
Angel  Tower  (Canterbury), 

9,  10,  n,  13,  30. 
Angel      Windows       (Salis- 
bury),  88. 
Anne  of  Bohemia    (tomb), 

435- 

Anne  of  Cleves  (tomb), 435. 
Anselm,  12;  burial-place  of, 

25- 
Aquablanca,    Thomas,     174, 

177,  180. 

Arcade,  Winchester,  60. 
Archbishop   of    Canterbury, 

2,  263. 
Archbishop    of    York,    263, 

265. 


Arches,    Inverted    (Wells), 

no,  116. 
Arundel,    Earl,    and    Maud 

(tomb),   72. 
Arundel  Tower,  9,  n. 
Athelstan,  90. 
Atholl,     Countess     (tomb), 

30. 

Austen,  Jane  (brass),  54. 
Aveline        of        Lancaster 

(tomb),  433. 
Ave  Maria  Lane,  398. 

Ball-flower,    143,    159,    163, 

175- 
Ball  and  Cross,  St.  Paul's, 

403. 

Baptistry  Tower,  430. 
Bath  Abbey,  134-139. 
Bayeux  Tapestry,  425. 
Beauchamp,  James  de   (ef- 
figy), 198- 
Beauchamp,    John    (tomb), 

192. 
Beaufort,   Cardinal,   53,   59, 

417,  418. 

Beaufort,  Jane,  417,  421. 
Beaumont,  Francis,  424,  433. 
Becket,  Thomas  a,  2,  3,  10, 

18,  19,  249,  262. 
Becket's  Crown,  19,  23-24. 
Beckington,      Bishop,      108, 

no,  119. 

Beckington  (tomb),  129. 
Bede,  Venerable,  grave  of, 

242-243. 

Belfry  Tower,  430. 
Bell  Harry  Tower,  n,  30. 
Bell  Tower,  380. 


445 


446 


INDEX 


Bell:  —  Dunstan  (Canter- 
bury), ii ;  (Rochester), 
36;  Great  Peter,  268; 
Peter,  98;  Tom  of  Lin- 
coln, 310-311;  Tom  of 
Oxford,  375. 

Bells  : — Canterbury,  36 ;  Ex- 
eter, 92;  Gloucester,  152; 
Lincoln,  310-311;  Oxford, 
375,  380;  Peterborough, 
321;  St.  Albans,  369;  St. 
Saviour's,  418;  Winches- 
ter, 65;  York,  268. 

Bell  Ringer's  Gallery,  238. 

Ben  Jonson,  431. 

Berkeley,    Maurice    (tomb), 

145- 

Birde,  William,  134-135. 

Bishop's  Cloisters  (Here- 
ford), 175. 

Bishops'  Gardens  (Nor- 
wich), 303,  357. 

Bishop's  Eye  (Lincoln), 
305,  3o8. 

Bishop's  Palace  (Wells), 
132,  133. 

Bishop's  Throne : — Chester, 
219 ;  Exeter,  99,  100-101 ; 
Hereford,  183 ;  Lincoln, 
297;  Ripon,  258. 

Bitton,  Bishop,  90. 

Black  Prince  (tomb),  9,  20- 
21. 

Blois,  William  de  (effigy), 
198. 

Blue  Dick,  9,  13,  27. 

Bohun,  Joanne  de,  185. 

Booth,  Bishop  (effigy),  176. 

Booth  (tomb),  176. 

Borough,  The,  415. 

Bouchier,   Cardinal,   16. 

Bowet,  Archbishop  (tomb), 
274. 

Boy  Bishop,  82-83. 

Boys,  Dean  (tomb),  27. 

Brantingham,   91,   100. 

Bridport,  Giles  de  (tomb), 
86-87. 


Brithnoth,  335. 
Bristol,  140-150. 
Bronescomb,      Bishop,      91, 

102. 

Bronescomb   (tomb),  103. 
Browne's  Gate,  108. 
Bruce,  Robert,  227. 
Bubwith,  Bishop,  no. 
Bubwith    Tower,    113,    114, 

118. 
Burne-Jones,    Windows   by, 

88,  380,  382,  384,  386,  388, 

39L 

Butler,  Bishop  (tomb),  149. 
Butler  Tower,  140. 
Bytton,  St.  William  (tomb), 

129. 

Campanile,  69. 

Canon  Alley,  398. 

Cantelupe,  Walter  de  (ef- 
figy), 198. 

Canterbury,  1-32. 

Carileph,  244. 

Carlisle,  227-232. 

Carving :  —  Carlisle,  228  ; 
Exeter,  95,  96;  Lincoln, 
285,  295-296;  Wells,  117- 
118,  120-122,  130;  Worces- 
ter, 196-197;  York,  280; 
Southwell,  317-318. 

Cathedral  Pool,  201,  203. 

Cella,  John  de,  363,  364. 

Cemetery,  5. 

Cemetery  Gate,  38. 

Censing  Angels,  432. 

Cerdic,  46. 

Chain-Gate,  102,  112,  113, 
124. 

Chantry: — Audley,  85,  175, 
185-186;  Beaufort,  62; 
Birde,  139;  Bubwith,  122; 
Edington,  54,  162;  Flem- 
ing, 302,  309 ;  Fox,  62,  85 ; 
Gardiner,  62;  Henry  IV, 
22;  Henry  V,  435;  Hun- 
gerford,  85 ;  Langton,  60, 
61 ;  Longland,  302,  308 ; 


INDEX 


447 


Oldham,  102,  104-105; 
Prince  Arthur,  195-196; 
Ramryge,  370,  371;  Rus- 
sell, 302,  308;  Speke,  102; 
St.  George,  104 ;  St.  Rade- 
gunde,  97 ;  Stanbery,  181 ; 
Sugar,  122;  Sylke,  98; 
Waynflete,  62 ;  Wheat- 
hampstead,  370,  371 ;  Wil- 
liam of  Wykeham,  54-55. 
Chapel : — Alcock,  Bishop, 
345;  Berkeley,  141,  146; 
Botelers,  168 ;  Christ 
Church,  375;  Derby,  223, 
226;  Dean's  (Canter- 
bury), 22,  26,  27;  Dean's 
(Lincoln),  306;  Ducie, 
222,  225 ;  Four  Virgins, 
72;  Eraser,  223,  226; 
Guardian  Angels,  60,  61 ; 
Holy  Cross,  118,  123; 
Holy  Ghost,  99;  Holy 
Sepulchre,  64 ;  Holy  Trin- 
ity, 224;  Islip,  436;  Jesus, 
192,  222,  223,  225,  409; 
Mallory,  255,  259;  Morn- 
ing, 410;  Newton,  141, 
145;  Nine  Altars,  130, 
236,  237,  238,  240,  246- 
247;  of  the  Pyx,  443; 
Order  of  St.  Michael  and 
St.  George,  410;  Ringers, 
309;  Saints,  367,  371 ;  Sea- 
broke,  169 ;  Silkstede's,  64 ; 
of  the  Transfiguration, 
374 ;  Warriors',  18,  25,  26 ; 
West,  Bishop,  345;  St. 
Andrews,  102,  169;  St. 
Benedict,  331,  435;  St. 
Calixtus,  123;  St.  Cathe- 
rine, 129,  387;  St.  Chad, 
210-21 1,  213;  St.  David, 
123;  St.  Dunstan,  410;  St. 
Edward  the  Confessor, 
434;  St.  Edmund,  45,  97, 
436 ;  St.  Erasmus,  436 ;  St. 
Faith,  75,  432 ;  St.  Gabriel, 
30,  105;  St.  George,  224; 


St.  Hugh,  309;  St. 
James,  102,  224;  St.  John, 
193,  196;  St.  John  the 
Baptist,  43,  98,  129,  436; 
St.  John  the  Baptist  and 
St.  Edmund  the  King,  73 ; 
St.  John  the  Divine,  423; 
St.  Katherine,  73;  St. 
Kyneburga,  331 ;  St. 
Kyneswitha,  331 ;  St. 
Lucy,  381,  390;  St.  Luke, 
353,  358 ;  St.  Martin,  123 ; 
St.  Mary  the  Less,  353, 
357 ;  St.  Mary  Magda- 
lene, 73,  105;  St.  Nicho- 
las, 224,  436;  St.  Oswald, 
331;  St.  Paul,  98,  168, 
436;  St.  Philip,  169;  St. 
Stephen,  129;  St.  Thomas 
of  Canterbury,  323 ;  Trin- 
ity, 6,  9,  12,  18,  19,  20; 
Warner,  43. 

Chapels : — Ely,  223,  226  ; 
Lincoln,  292. 

Chapter  -  House :  —  Bristol, 
141;  Carlisle,  232;  Ches- 
ter, 221,  225 ;  Durham, 
237,  248;  Gloucester,  149- 
150,  151,  172;  Lichfield, 
130,  207,  213,  214 ;  Lincoln, 
307;  Peterborough,  331; 
Oxford,  379,  392;  Ripon, 
259;  Salisbury,  78,  88-89; 
Southwell,  313,  317-318; 
Wells,  112,  113,  124,  125- 
126;  Westminster  Abbey, 
428,  442;  Winchester,  64; 
Worcester,  199 ;  York, 
261,  280,  281,  282. 

Chapter  -  House  Doorway 
(Rochester),  44-45. 

Charles  Edward,  228. 

Charlton,  Bishop  (tomb)> 
180. 

Chaucer,   i,  10,  415. 

Chaucer    (tomb),   432,   433. 

Chaucer  Window,  419. 

Cheapside,  398. 


448 


INDEX 


Chequers  Inn,  8,  10. 

Chertsey's  Gate,  38. 

Chests,  Mortuary,  57. 

Chester,  215-221. 

Chichele  Tower,  n,  12. 

C  h  i  c  h  e  1  e ,  Archbishop 
(tomb),  17. 

Chichester,  66-75. 

Chillenden,  Prior,  9,  12,  13, 
3i,  32. 

Choate,  Joseph  H.,  423. 

Choir :— Bath  Abbey,  138 ; 
Bristol,  142 ;  Canterbury, 
14-17;  Carlisle,  227,  228, 
230-232;  Chester,  218; 
Chichester,  73 ;  Durham, 
237,  244;  Ely,  343-345; 
Exeter,  99-102 ;  Glouces- 
ter, 53,  160-163;  Here- 
ford, 182-183 ;  Lincoln, 
295-297 ;  Lichfield,  209- 
21 1 ;  Manchester,  225; 
Norwich,  356;  Oxford, 
381,  383 ;  Peterborough, 
328-329 ;  Ripon,  255-256 ; 
Rochester,  42;  Salisbury, 
84-85;  Southwell,  316;  St. 
Alban's,  356;  St.  Paul's, 
404 ;  St.  Saviour's,  421 ; 
Wells,  126-129;  Westmin- 
ster Abbey,  427,  433 ;  Win- 
chester, 55 ;  Worcester, 
193-194;  York,  271-272, 
281. 

Choir  of  Conrad,  glorious, 
2,  4,  12,  14. 

Choir-screen  (Lichfield), 
211. 

Choir-screen  (Southwell), 
313,  3i6. 

Choir-stalls : — Canterbury,  9, 
14;  Carlisle,  231;  Ches- 
ter, 218-219 ;  Chichester, 
73;  Durham,  245;  Ely, 
345;  Exeter,  57;  Glouces- 
ter, 161 ;  Hereford,  183 ; 
Manchester,  225 ;  Nor- 
wich, 356;  Peterborough, 


329;  Ripon,  256-257; 
Rochester,  43;  Salisbury, 
85;  St.  Albans,  369;  St. 
Paul's,  408 ;  Winchester, 
56-57 ;  Worcester,  194 ; 
York,  271. 

Choristers'   Green,  80. 

Choristers'  Vestry,  306. 

Christ  Church  Gate,  10. 

Christ  Church,  Oxford,  375. 

Clive,  Geoffrey  de  (tomb), 
180. 

Clock  (Exeter),  98. 

Cloisters :  —  Bristol,  141, 
149;  Canterbury,  28,  31- 
32 ;  Chester,  220-221 ;  Chi- 
chester, 75  ;  Durham,  248 ; 
Ely,  340,  341 ;  Exeter,  99 ; 
Gloucester,  151,  159,  170- 
172;  Oxford,  350,  358, 
359,  380,  392;  Peterbor- 
ough, 333;  Salisbury,  78, 
89;  Wells,  no,  132;  West- 
minster Abbey,  428 ; 
Worcester,  198-199. 

Cloister  Court,  333. 

Close  (Salisbury),  80; 
(Wells),  108. 

Close   Gate,  80. 

Coldstream  Guards,  411. 

College  Gate,  37. 

Collingwood,  412. 

Colston  Tower,  140. 

Conrad,  Prior,  2,  14. 

Cornish,  Bishop  (tomb), 
123. 

Cornwallis,  Lord,  412. 

Constantine,  46,  262. 

Corona,  12,  23-24. 

Coronation  Chairs,  435. 

Courtenay,    Archbishop,   21. 

Creed  Lane,  398. 

Cricklade,  Robert  of,  377, 
378. 

Cross,  St.  Paul's,  407. 

Crouchback,  Edmund 
(tomb),  434. 

Crypt : — Canterbury,    29-31 ; 


INDEX 


449 


Exeter,  102 ;  Gloucester, 
169-170;  Hereford,  186; 
Ripon,  254,  259;  Roches- 
ter, 45;  St.  Paul's,  412; 
Wells,  126;  Winchester, 
64;  Worcester,  198;  York, 
279-280. 


Dark  Entry,  31. 
Davenport,  Bishop,  85. 
Deanery      (Carlisle),     232, 

443- 

Deanery  Gate,  38. 

Deanery  Gateway,  331-332. 

Dean's  Door,  332. 

Dean's  Eye  (Lincoln),  304, 
309- 

Dean's  Yard,  St.  Paul's, 
400. 

Decorated : — Bristol,  145, 
147;  Canterbury,  32;  Car- 
lisle, 227,  231,  232;  Ches- 
ter, 215,  217;  Ely,  338, 
343,  344,  345,  346 ;  Exeter, 
90;  Hereford,  175,  180, 
182;  Lichfield,  202,  207, 
209,  210;  Lincoln,  301,  305, 
307;  Norwich,  350,  353, 
354,  359;  Oxford,  379, 
387 ;  Peterborough,  321, 
325,  326,  327,  329,  333; 
Ripon,  250,  252;  Roches- 
ter, 38,  41,  44-45;  South- 
well, 315,  316,  317;  St. 
Albans,  368,  374;  St. 
Saviour's,  418;  Wells,  in, 
112,  114;  Worcester,  191, 
192;  York,  279,  280,  281. 

Devil  Looking  over  Lincoln, 
301,  309- 

Dickens,  Charles,  38,  41. 

Diocletian,  46. 

Doddridge,  Sir  John  and 
Lady  (tomb),  103. 

Dog-tooth,  207,  208,  214, 
230,  231,  251,  307,  315,  324, 
368. 


Dome     (St.     Paul's),     397, 

402,  412. 
Doorway,     Southwest     (St. 

Saviour's),  418. 
Drum   (St.  Paul's),  407. 
Duncan,  319,  330. 
Dun  Cow,  234,  338. 
Dunstan,  425. 
Durham,  233-248. 

Earl  of  Hertford  (monu- 
ment), 87. 

Early  Decorated : — Here- 
ford, 181 ;  Lichfield,  201 ; 
Wells,  130;  York,  267, 
282. 

Early  English : — Bristol, 
141,  144;  Carlisle,  230; 
Chester,  215,  217,  220, 
221 ;  Chichester,  70 ;  Dur- 
ham, 236;  Ely,  338,  340, 
344,  346;  Exeter,  97; 
Gloucester,  168 ;  Here- 
ford, 184;  Lichfield,  201, 
207,  210,  214;  Lincoln, 
292,  295;  Oxford,  386; 
Peterborough,  320,  324, 
327,  328,  332;  Ripon,  250, 
252 ;  Rochester,  38,  40,  41 ; 
Salisbury,  76,  78;  South- 
well, 315,  316;  St.  Albans, 
364,  368;  Wells,  in,  118, 
119,  127,  133;  Westmin- 
ster Abbey,  430,  432; 
Winchester,  48,  57,  60; 
Worcester,  196 ;  York, 
202,  282. 

Earthquakes,    109,    153,  287. 

Easter  Sepulchre,  301. 

Eastern  Transept  (Lin- 
coln), 297-298. 

East  End  : — Hereford,  184 ; 
Wells,  130,  131;  St.  Sa- 
viour's, 417. 

East  Front  (York),  281. 

East  Window  :  —  Bristol, 
147-148;  Canterbury,  28; 
Carlisle,  227,  228,  231; 


450 


INDEX 


Chichester,  70 ;  Exeter, 
100,  103;  Gloucester,  164- 
166,  167;  Hereford,  184; 
Lincoln,  302-303 ;  Oxford, 
391 ;  Ripon,  252 ;  South- 
well, 316;  St.  Saviour's, 
419,  422;  Wells,  132; 
Winchester,  58 ;  York, 
261,  264,  273-274,  281. 

Eboracum,  262. 

Ed  f rid,  334. 

Edgar,  313,  317,  330,  335. 

Edgar,  Coronation  of,  135. 

Edington,  Bishop,  48,  49,  51, 

53,  54- 

Edward  L,  265,  274. 

Edward  I.  (tomb),  435. 

Edward  II.  (tomb),  152, 
161-162. 

Edward  III.  (tomb),  435. 

Edward  IV.,  5. 

Edward  of  Caernarvon 
(tomb),  162. 

Edward  the  Confessor,  335, 
425. 

Edwin   Drood,   38. 

Edwin,  King,  263. 

Eleanor,  Queen  (monu- 
ment), 300;  (tomb),  435. 

Elder  Lady  Chapel  (Bris- 
tol), 141,  144. 

Elias  of  Dereham,  77. 

Elizabeth,  Queen  (tomb), 
438,  441- 

Elizabeth,  Lady  Montacute 
(tomb),  386. 

Elizabethan  Players  and 
Dramatists,  424. 

Ely,  19,  63,  334-348;  Isle  of, 
334- 

Erasmus,  29. 

Ernulf,    2,    14,    25,    30,    31, 

34- 

Erpingham  Gate,  350,  351. 
Ethelbert,  King  of  Kent,  2, 

33- 
Ethelred,  the  Unready,  376, 

378. 


Ethelwold,    St.,   46,   47,   48, 

319,  335- 

Evelyn,  John,  290,  396. 
Exchequer  Gate,  311. 
Exeter,  90-106. 

Faith,  Hope  and  Charity 
(window),  382. 

Fan-tracery,  22,  27,  126,  137, 
138,  170,  329,  383. 

Feretory,  59. 

Fire  : — Bath  Abbey  136 ; 
Canterbury,  4,  9,  14-15,  17, 
18 ;  Carlisle,  227  ;  Chiches- 
ter, 66,  67 ;  Exeter,  91 ; 
Gloucester,  153,  158;  Lin- 
coln, 286;  Norwich,  350, 
355,  358 ;  Peterborough, 
319,  330;  Rochester,  35; 
St.  Paul's,  393;  St.  Sa- 
viour's, 416,  417;  York, 
266-267. 

Fitzhardinge,  Robert,  141, 
149,  150. 

Fitzjocelyn,  Bishop,  108, 117. 

Five  Sisters  (York),  261, 
269-270,  282. 

Flambard,  Randolph,  235, 
242. 

Fleet  Street,  398. 

Fletcher,  John,  424. 

Flos  Florum,  261,  280. 

Flying-buttresses : —  Canter- 
bury, 12;  Ely,  339,  340; 
Gloucester,  164. 

Font: — Durham,  240;  Here- 
ford, 176;  Lincoln,  294; 
Peterborough,  327 ;  Ripon, 
253;  Wells,  122;  Win- 
chester, 53-64. 

Four  Doctors  of  the  Church 
(Durham),  237,  244. 

Fox,  Bishop,  55,  57,  59,  421. 

French  Church  (Canter- 
bury), 29. 

Galilee  Chapel  (Durham), 
233,  236,  240-242;  Porch 


INDEX 


45i 


(Ely),  336,  338;  Porch 
(Lincoln),  305-306. 

Garrick,  David,  208. 

Gateway,  Great  (Bristol), 
150. 

Geometrical    Staircase,    411. 

Gibbons,  Grinling,  9,  14, 
408-409. 

Gibbons,  Orlando,  17. 

Glass  : — Lincoln,  294 ;  Ox- 
ford, 390-391 ;  York,  261- 
262,  264,  269,  270,  272. 

Glastonbury,  107. 

Glastonbury  Clock,  124. 

Glenham  Window  (Bris- 
tol), 143,  145. 

Globe  Theatre,  424. 

Gloucester,  151-173. 

Godelee,  John  de,   109. 

Goldstone  II,  9,  10,  n,  13, 
27,  31- 

Goldwell,  Bishop,  350,  352. 

Golden  Gallery,  413. 

Gorges,  Thomas  (monu- 
ment), 87. 

Gordon,  General,  411. 

Gower,  John  (tomb),  419- 
420. 

Grandison,  Bishop,  90,  91, 
92,  97,  99- 

Grandison,  Sir  Peter,  185. 

Gray  (Grey),  Walter  de, 
250,  264,  313,  316;  (tomb), 
270. 

Great  Fire,  396,  412. 

Great  Gate,  St.  Albans,  362. 

Grecian  Stairs,  312. 

Green  Church  Haw,  37. 

Green  Court,  10,  31. 

Gregory,  Pope,  I,  2. 

Grimthorpe,  Lord,  360,  364, 
365,  373- 

Grosseteste,  Robert,  289, 
293,  3io,  321. 

Gundulf,  33,  40,  153; 
(tomb),  44;  (tower),  35, 

37- 
Gunthorpe,  Dean,  no. 


Hackett,    Bishop,   204. 
Hackett  (tomb),  210. 
Hadrian,  262. 
Hagiscopes,  28. 
Hamo  de  Hythe,  36. 
Harbledown,  i. 
Harewell,  Bishop,  no. 
Harewell   Tower,    113,    114, 

118. 

Harnham  Gate,  80. 
Harvard  Window,  423. 
Hatfield,     Bishop     (tomb), 

245- 

Haw  ford    (effigy),   198. 
Henry   III.,  4,   77,   78,  425; 

(tomb),  434-435- 
Henry  IV.  (tomb),  21-22. 
Henry    V.,    Chantry,   435. 
Henry   VII.'s    Chapel,    427, 

437-441. 
Henry  VIII.,  6,  9,  321,  360, 

376. 
Henry  of  Huntingdon,  286, 

301. 
Hereford,  35,  67,   130,   174- 

187. 

Hereward,  319. 
Herkenrode  Glass,  209,  212- 

213. 

Hugh  of  Avalon,  287. 
Hugh  of  Eversden,  365. 
Hugh  de  Wells,  288,  289. 
Hodson  of  Hodson's  Horse, 

211. 

Holland,  Lady  M.,  26. 
Holy  Hole,  60. 
Hotham,     John,     336,     338, 

342,  343;    (tomb),  346. 
House    of    the    Six    Poor 

Travellers,  41. 
Howley,  Archbishop,  16. 
Humble     Richard     (tomb), 

422. 

Hunton,  Prior,  61. 
Husse,   Dean    (tomb),    123. 

Imp    on    Back    of    Witch, 
308. 


452 


INDEX 


Ina,  King,  107. 
Ingoldsby  Legends,  31,  76. 
Islip,  Abbot,  431,  436,  443. 
Irving,  W.,  429,  438. 

Jack  Blandiver,  124. 
James  I.,  417. 
Jericho  Parlour,  428,  443. 
Jerusalem     Chamber,     428, 

443- 

Jesse  Window  (Wells),  128. 

Jesus  Chapel,  Norwich,  353, 
358. 

Jesus  Tower,  200. 

Jewell,  Bishop,  78. 

Joan  of  Navarre  (tomb), 
21-22. 

Jocelin,  Bishop,  108,  109, 
in,  117. 

John,  King  (tomb),  194-195. 

John  of  Canterbury,  34. 

John  Le  Romeyn,  267. 

John  of  Thorsby,  264,  283. 

Johnson,  Dr.  Samuel,  208. 

Joseph  of  Arimathea,  107. 

Joseph's,  Window  (Dur- 
ham), 248. 

Justus,  33. 

Katherine  of  Aragon,  321, 
330. 

Kemp,  Cardinal,  16. 

Kenwalk,  46. 

Kilkenny,  Bishop,  346. 

"King  of  Bath,"   135. 

King,  Oliver,  134. 

King  Window,   391. 

Kirton,  Abbott,  332,  333. 

Knight  (effigy),  62  (Four- 
teenth Century). 

Knight  (tomb),  104. 

Knowle,  Abbot,  142,  143, 
144,  145,  146,  147. 

Kyneburga,    152. 

Kynegils,  46. 

Lacey,  Bishop   (tomb),  101. 
Lady  Arbour,  175. 


Lady  Bells,  Lincoln,  294, 
3ii. 

Lady  Chapel : — Bristol,  141, 
147 ;  Canterbury,  27 ; 
Chester,  220;  Chichester, 
67,  69,  74-75;  Durham, 
236;  Ely,  336,  337,  338, 
339,  340,  347 ;  Exeter,  102 ; 
Gloucester,  151,  154-155, 
166-167;  Hereford,  175, 
183-184;  Lichfield,  203, 
207,  211-212;  Manchester, 
222,  223,  225 ;  Oxford, 
374,  379,  384,  385,  386; 
Peterborough,  321 ;  Ripon, 
259 ;  Rochester,  37,  38,  41 ; 
St.  Alban's,  367;  St.  Sa- 
viour's, 417,  422;  Wells, 
109,  112,  126,  129,  130- 
131 ;  Westminster  Abbey, 
426 ;  Winchester,  60 ; 
Worcester,  196,  197,  198; 
York,  264,  273,  282. 

Lady  Lisle  (tomb),  123. 

Lady  Loft,  259. 

Lady,  Fourteenth  Century 
(effigy),  97. 

La  Farge,  John,  423. 

Lancet,  67. 

Lanfranc,  2,  13,  18,  33. 

Langley,  Cardinal  (tomb), 
242. 

Langton,  John  de,  68. 

Langton,  Stephen,  4,  77. 

Langton,  Stephen  (tomb), 
26. 

Langton,  Walter  de,  203. 

Lantern  (Ely),  339;  York, 
269. 

Lantern   of  the  West,    137. 

Late  Decorated  (York),  267. 

Latin      Chapel,     381,      384, 

387. 

Laurel  Court,  333. 
Lee,  Archbishop,  266. 
Leighton,    Lord,    411. 
Library : — Chichester,       73  ; 

Gloucester,       151,      171 ; 


INDEX 


453 


Hereford,  181 ;  St.  Paul's 

411;  Wells,  no. 
Lichfield,  200-214. 
Liddell,  Edith  (window), 

39i. 

Lincoln,  284. 
Lincoln  Imp,  301. 
Ling,  A.  Van,  379,  382. 
Lollards'   Prison,  74- 
London  Bridge,  415-416. 
Longespee,     William,      77  J 

(tomb),  82. 

Longfellow    (bust),  433- 
Losinga,    Robert    de,    I74J 

(tomb),  182. 

Losinga,  Herbert  de,  349- 
Louth,  Bishop  (tomb),  346. 
Louis  VII.,  4,  8. 
Lucius,  King,  2,  46. 
Lucy,    Bishop,    48,    57,   61; 

(tomb),  60. 
Ludgate  Hill,  398,  400. 
Luffa,  Bishop,  66. 
Lyhard,    Bishop,    350,    352, 

355,  356. 

Manchester,   222-226. 

Mandeville,  Sir  John,  368. 

Map  of  the  World,  182. 

Marchia,  Bishop  (tomb), 
123. 

Margaret  of  Anjou,  361. 

Massinger,  Philip,  424- 

Maurice,  Lord  Berkeley 
(effigy),  145- 

Mary,  Queen  of  Scots,  322, 
331;  (tomb),  438,  439, 
441,  442. 

Meist'  Omers,  31. 

Melbourne,  Lord,  411. 

Melrose  Abbey,  249. 

Melton  Arch,  275. 

Mercery  Lane,  8,  10. 

Merton,  Walter  de,  43- 

Minster  Yard,  311. 

Minstrels'  Gallery :— Exeter, 
96;  Winchester,  54;  Lich- 
field, 210-21 I. 


Misereres,  Exeter,  99-100. 
Misericords,      Wells,      128; 

Bristol,    142. 
Mitford,     Bishop      (tomb), 

85. 

Mompesson,  Sir  Richard 
(tomb),  85. 

Monks'  Door :— Ely,  340 ; 
Norwich,  359. 

Monks'  Stone,  330. 

Monmouth  Rebellion,  in. 

Montagu,  Lady  Mary  Wort- 
ley,  208. 

Montague,  Bishop,  135  J 
(tomb),  139- 

Morning  Chapel,  331. 

Morton,  Cardinal  (tpmb), 
30. 

Morwent,   Abbot,    156,    158, 

159- 
Music  Gallery  (Wells),  119. 

Nave:— Bath,  137;  Bristol, 
141 ;  Canterbury,  12-13 ; 
Carlisle,  229 ;  Chester, 
217;  Chichester,  71-72; 
Durham,  239-240 ;  Ely, 
341;  Exeter,  95-o6; 
Gloucester,  156-158;  Here- 
ford, 175-176;  Lichfield, 
207-208;  Lincoln,  292-294, 
309;  Manchester,  223-224; 
Norwich,  353,  354-355* 
366 ;  Oxford,  381 ;  Peter- 
borough, 328;  Ripon,  252- 
253 ;  Rochester,  40-41 ; 
Salisbury,  81-82;  South- 
well, 315;  St.  Albans,  367, 
368;  St.  Paul's,  404;  St. 
Saviour's,  419;  Wells,  115- 
120;  Westminster  Abbey, 
428;  Winchester,  12,  51- 
53 ;  Worcester,  191-192 ; 
York,  274-276,  282. 

Nelson,  Lord,  411-412. 

Neville,  Lady  Alice,  243. 

Neville,  Lord  John  (tomb), 
243,  245- 


454 


INDEX 


Neville,      Lord      Ralph 

(tomb),  243. 

Neville  Screen,  240,  245-246. 
New  Building,  321,  329-330, 

333- 

New  Work  (Durham),  246. 

Nicholas  of  Portland,  77. 

Norman  : — Bristol,  141,  149, 
150;  Canterbury,  25,  29, 
32 ;  Carlisle,  229 ;  Chester, 
220 ;  Durham,  238,  241 ; 
Ely,  340,  34i,  344;  Exe- 
ter, 91,  92;  Gloucester, 
151,  156,  157,  158,  159, 
160,  168,  172;  Hereford, 
175,  176,  178;  Lincoln, 
286;  Norwich,  349,  352, 
353,  354,  355,  357,  358; 
Oxford,  383 ;  Peterbor- 
ough, 320,  326,  327,  328, 
329,  330,  331,  332,  3335 
Rochester,  34,  38,  40,  41 ; 
Southwell,  3H,  315,  3i6; 
St.  Albans,  363,  365,  369; 
Welles,  no,  HI,  114-115; 

.  Winchester,  48,  52,  57,  63 ; 
Worcester,  191,  192 ; 
York,  202,  264,  279. 

Northcote  (Chantreys),  105. 

North  Door : — Durham,  238 ; 
Lichfield,  206-207. 

North  Front  (Westminster 
Abbey),  426-427. 

North  Porch  : — Bristol,  141 ; 
Exeter,  97,  190-191 ;  Here- 
ford, 175,  177;  Manches- 
ter, 223;  Southwell,  315; 
Wells,  114-115;  Worces- 
ter, 190-191. 

North  Transept :  —  Here- 
ford, 174,  177-180;  Nor- 
wich, 357;  St.  Saviour's, 
420;  Westminster  Abbey, 
431-432;  York,  282. 

North  wold  (Norwold), 

Bishop,  336,  337,  343; 
(tomb),  346. 

Norwich,  349-359- 


Octagon  (Ely),  334,  338, 
339,  341. 

Offa,  King,  135,  136,  174, 
360,  363. 

Old  St.  Paul's,  393-395- 

Osric,    152,   156. 

Osric  (monument),  162. 

Oswald,   188,  216. 

Organ: — Canterbury,  16; 
Gloucester,  159;  Here- 
ford, 182;  Rochester,  37; 
Salisbury,  84;  St.  Paul's, 
408-409. 

Organs,  Ancient,  47. 

Oseney    Abbey,  380,  391. 

Oxford,  375-392- 

Painters'  Corner,  412. 

Palace  Green,  237. 

Paris,  Matthew,  321,  362, 
363- 

Parker,  Abbot  (tomb),  161. 

Parvise,  325-326. 

Paternoster  Row,  398. 

Paulinus,  33,  34,  263,  285. 

Paul  of  Caen,  363. 

Paul's  Cross,  398,  399. 

Paul's  Walk,  395. 

Peckham,  Archbishop,  27. 

Pembridge,  Sir  Richard 
(effigy),  176. 

Penda,  319. 

Penniless  Porch,  108. 

Pepys,  Samuel,  37. 

Perpendicular : — Bath  Ab- 
bey, 136;  Canterbury,  12, 
26;  Chester,  215,  217,  220; 
Ely,  340,  34i,  347 ;  Glouces- 
ter, 157,  158,  159,  160,  168, 
169,  170,  171,  172;  Here- 
ford, 175,  181,  187;  Lich- 
field, 204,  209,  210;  Lin- 
coln, 294,  308;  Manches- 
ter, 222;  Norwich,  350, 
352,  353,  354,  359;  Ox- 
ford, 379,  383;  Peter- 
borough, 321,  325,  328, 
329,  331,  332,  333 ;  Ripon, 


INDEX 


455 


251,  252;  Rochester,  38, 
41;  Southwell,  314;  St. 
Albans,  365 ;  St.  Saviour's, 
418;  Wells,  in,  113,  118, 
119;  Winchester,  48,  49, 
5i,  52,  57;  Worcester, 
191,  192;  York,  267,  268, 
271,  273,  281. 

Peterborough,  3IQ-333- 

Peter's  Pence,  362. 

Philippa  of  Hainault 
(tomb),  435. 

Pilgrimage  of  Grace,  266. 

Pilgrims,  4,  5,  6,  7,  8,  10,  17, 
18,  31,  43,  68,  168,  235,  265, 
.366,  415. 

Piscina: — Ripon,  253,  258; 
Rochester,  43 ;  Wells,  129. 

Poets'  Corner,  427,  429,  432. 

Pole,  Cardinal,  37;  (tomb), 
23- 

Pont  1'Eveque,  Roger  de, 
249,  250,  262,  263. 

Poore,  Bishop,  77,  236. 

Porch  (Central),  Chiches- 
ter,  70. 

Portico  (Peterborough), 
324. 

Pottergate   Arch,  312. 

Precincts   (Canterbury),  10. 

Presbytery  : — Norwich,  357 ; 
St.  Alban's,  369-370;  Win- 
chester, 57. 

Primate  of  England,  2,  263. 

Primate  of  All  England, 
263. 

Priors'  Court,  31. 

Priors'  Door : — Ely,  341 ; 
Norwich,  359. 

Priors'  Gate,  38. 

Processional  Path,  357. 

Pudsey,  Hugh,  236. 

Pulpit  :  —  Oxford,  390 ; 
Wells,  122. 

Puritans,  desecrations  by, 
9,  27,  37,  216,  204,  228, 
322-323,  330-331,  350-351, 
379- 


Quivil,  Bishop,  90,  91,  98, 
99,  102;  (tomb),  102. 

Ralph,  Bishop  (tomb),  75. 

Ralph   of   Shrewsbury,    no. 

Redman,  Bishop,  346. 

Refectory :  —  Carlisle,  232 ; 
Worcester,  199. 

Regale  of  France,  4,  7. 

Relics  of  St.  Thomas,  3,  5, 
6. 

Relics,  368,  378. 

Remigins,   286,   294. 

Reredos :  —  B  r  i  s  t  o  1 ,  147 ; 
Canterbury,  16;  Glouces- 
ter (Lady  Chapel),  167; 
Hereford,  183 ;  Lincoln, 
297;  St.  Albans,  59;  Win- 
chester, 59 ;  Worcester, 
194- 

Retable  (Italian),  358. 

Retro-Choir :  —  Canterbury, 
18;  Carlisle,  232;  Chiches- 
ter,  67,  74;  Peterborough, 
329-330;  Salisbury,  130, 
131;  St.  Albans,  373;  St. 
Saviour's,  422 ;  Wells,  126, 
129-130. 

Reynolds,  Sir  Joshua,  411. 

Reynolds,  Archbishop 
(tomb),  25. 

Richard  of  Fairleigh,  77. 

Richard  of  Wallingford, 
365. 

Richard,  Sir  W.,  409-410. 

Ringers'  Chapel,  291,  292. 

Robert  of  Lewes,  135. 

Robert,  Bishop,  108. 

Robert,  Duke  of  Normandy 
(effigy),  168. 

Rochester,  33:45. 

Rodney,  Admiral,  411. 

Roger  de  Norbury,  200. 

Roger  and  Sigar,  369. 

Romeyn,  John,  264,  313. 

Romeyn,  John  II.,  264. 

Rood-Screen: — Exeter,  09; 
Lincoln,  294;  Ripon,  255; 


456 


INDEX 


St.    Albans,    367;    York, 

270. 

Roofs  (Winchester),  65. 
Royal  Children  (tomb),  435- 
Rupibus,  Peter  de,  418,  421, 

422. 

Sacrarium,  44. 

Sais,  John  de,  320,  329. 

Salisbury,  76-89. 

Sanctuary   (Durham),  239. 

Saxon: — Oxford,  376,  383; 
Peterborough,  330 ;  Ripon, 
254 ;  Winchester,  47 ; 
York,  279. 

Scott,  Sir  G.,  68,  70,  82,  85, 
99,  192,  211,  250,  256,  258, 
329,  343,  345,  36o,  380. 

Screen : — Canterbury,  13,  29 ; 
Ely,  343;  Exeter,  99; 
Lincoln,  306;  St.  Sa- 
viour's, 421 ;  Winchester, 

Screen  (exterior)  :  —  Exe- 
ter, 92-93 ;  Wells,  126. 

Scrope,  Richard,  265 ; 
(tomb),  279. 

Sedilia: — Bristol,  147;  Exe- 
ter, 101 ;  Gloucester,  161 ; 
Ripon,  258 ;  Rochester, 
43;  Southwell,  316;  St. 
Albans,  374. 

Seffrid  II.,  66,  68,  72. 

Selwyn,  Bishop  (effigy), 
213. 

Serlo,  153,  156,  157. 

Sermon  Lane,  398. 

Shakespeare,  424. 

Sherborne,  Bishop,  68. 

Sheppy,    John    de    (tomb), 

43-44- 

Shrine  of :— St.  Alban,  371- 
373;  St.  Amphibalus,  368, 
373;  Cantilupe,  178,  179; 
Edward  the  Confessor, 
434;  St.  Etheldreda,  346, 
357;  St.  Erkenwald,  393; 
St.  Frideswide,  378,  385- 


386;  John  of  Dalderby, 
305 ;  Little  St.  Hugh,  302 ; 
St.  Albans,  371 ;  St.  Chad, 
203,  204;  St.  Cuthbert, 
235,  246;  St.  Hugh,  299, 
300;  St.  Paulinus,  34,  36; 
St.  Richard,  74;  St. 
Swithun,  48,  59;  St. 
Thomas,  3,  4,  5,  6,  7,  9, 
18 ;  St.  Werburgh,  19 ;  St. 
Wilfrid,  250;  St.  William, 
43,  St.  Ythmar,  36. 

Siebert,  425;  (tomb),  435. 

Silkstede,  Prior,  59,  64; 
pulpit  of,  57. 

Simcoe,  General,  105. 

Simeon  of  Ely,  63,  64,  335, 
337,  346. 

Simeon's   Tower,   335,   336, 

337- 

Simon  de  Montfort,  36. 

Skirlowe,  Walter,  268. 

Slabs,  carved,  73. 

Sleeping  Children  (Chan- 
trey),  211. 

Slype : — Oxford,  392 ;  Peter- 
borough, 333. 

Solomon's  Porch,  431. 

South  Porch : — Canterbury, 
12;  Chester,  217;  Glouces- 
ter, 156;  Manchester, 
222. 

Southwark  Bridge,  415. 

South  Transept : — Chester, 
217;  Lichfield,  207;  West- 
minster Abbey  (see  Poets' 
Corner)  ;  York,  269,  282, 
358,  432. 

Southwell,  35,  313-318. 

South  Door :  —  Lichfield, 
207;  Lincoln,  308. 

Spire :— Chichester,  68,  69, 
79 ;  Norwich,  79,  352 ;  Ox- 
ford, 379;  Peterborough, 
333;  Salisbury,  77,  78,  79, 
81,  249. 

Spires   (Lichfield),  200. 

St.  Aiden,  233. 


INDEX 


457 


St.  Alban,  362,  363. 

St.  Albans,  360-374. 

St.   Albans,   Battle   of,  361. 

St.  Alphege,  47- 

St.  Amphibalus,  362-363. 

St.  Augustine,  i,  2,  33. 

St.  Birinus,  46. 

St.  Chad,  203. 

St.  Columba,  249. 

St.    Cuthbert,    233-234,    235, 

240. 

St.  Ermenilda,  336. 
St.     Etheldreda,     215,     334, 
335,  336,  342-343,  344- 

St.  Frideswide,  377- 

St.  Helena,  262. 

St.  Hugh  of  Grenoble,  287- 
289. 

St.   Hugh   of  Lincoln,   108, 
298,  300,  306. 

St.  Hugh,  Little,  302. 

St.   Mary   Overie,  416,  4*7- 

St.  Paul's,  393-4H. 

St.  Saviour's,  415-424. 

St.   Sexburga,  336. 

St.  Swithun,  46,  51,  416. 

St.  Thomas,  3,  6-9. 

St.  Werburgh,  215. 

St.  Wilfrid,  249,  250. 

St.  William,  264,  265. 

St.  William  of  Perth,  35- 

St.  William  Bytton,  109,  121, 
122. 

St.    William    of    Norwich, 
350. 

St.  Withburga,  336. 

St.  Andrew's  Chapel,  28. 

St.  Andrew's  Tower,  18,  19. 

St.  Anne's  Gate,  80. 

St.  Anselm's  Chapel,  25. 

St.  Anselm's  Tower,  19,  25. 

St.  Augustine's  Choir,  28-29. 

St.      Catherine's     Window, 

391- 
St.  Cecelia's  Window,  384- 

385. 

St.  Cuthbert's  Window,  248, 
261,  273. 


St.  Dunstan's  Tower,  n. 
St.    Edmund's    Chapel,   347. 
St.    Ethelbert's    Gate,    350, 

35i. 

St.  Frideswide's  Priory,  375- 
St.    Frideswide's    Window, 

388-389. 
St.   Hugh's   Choir,   67,  285, 

287-289,  295,  306. 
St.  Hugh's  Tower,  297. 
St.     Hugh's    Transept,    35, 

308. 

St.  Lucy's  Chapel,  381. 
St.  Mary's  Gate,  173. 
St.  Mary's  Tower,  291,  292. 
St.  Michael's  Chapel,  25. 
St.  Oswald,  Church  of,  216- 

217,  218. 

St.  Paul's  Bridge,  400. 
St.    Paul's    Cathedral,    392- 

414. 
St.  Paul's  Churchyard,  397- 

398. 

St.  Richard's  Walk,  75. 
St.  Wilfrid's  Needle,  254. 
St.  William's  Head,  264,  266. 
St.  William's  Window,  261, 

273- 

St.  William,  Tomb  of,  43- 
Stafford,     Bishop     (tomb), 

103. 

Staircase  (Wells),  124. 
Stanley,  Sir  John,  211. 
Stapledon,  Bishop  (tomb), 

101. 

Still,   Bishop    (effigy),    123. 
Stone  Gallery   (St.  Paul's), 

412-413. 

Stratford,  Archbishop,  16. 
Strickland,  Bishop,  227,  228. 
Swinfield,    Bishop    (tomb), 

180. 
Swynf  ord,       Catherine 

(tomb),  301. 

Tabard  Inn,  415. 
Tait,  Archbishop,  28. 
Te  Deum  Window,  244. 


458 


INDEX 


Thanksgiving  at  St.  Paul's, 
400. 

Thomas  of  Bayeux,  263. 

Thomas,  Lord  Berkeley 
(tomb),  145. 

Throne,  Archbishop's,  16. 

Tijou,  408. 

Tom  of  Lincoln,  Great,  291, 
3io. 

Tom  of  Oxford,  375. 

Tom  Quad,  375,  379. 

Tom  Tower,  375. 

Tower,  Central :— Bath,  136- 
137;  Bristol,  140;  Carlisle, 
228 ;  Chichester,  68,  69 ; 
Durham,  235,  238,  244, 
268;  Ely,  63,  321,  336, 
337;  Gloucester,  153,  154; 
Hereford,  175,  177;  Lin- 
coln, 294,  310;  Oxford, 
378,  390 ;  Peterborough, 
324;  Ripon,  251;  Roches- 
ter, 36;  St.  Albans,  365, 
369;  St.  Saviour's,  418; 
Wells,  109,  114;  Winches- 
ter, 55-56,  63,  64;  Worces- 
ter, 190;  York,  265-266, 
268. 

Tower :— North,  Exeter,  98 ; 
Simeon's,  Ely,  64,  405, 
406 ;  Salisbury,  81 ;  Walk- 
elyn's,  Winchester,  64. 

Towers : — Lincoln,  291-292 ; 
Norwich,  352 ;  Wells,  113  ; 
York,  268. 

Tracery : — Exeter,  95  ;  Here- 
ford, 187;  Lincoln,  291, 
294,  302,  304;  Wells,  128; 
York,  278. 

Transept  of  the  Martyrdom, 
3,  5,  17,  18,  26. 

Transepts  : — Canterbury,  15, 
17,  25,  28 ;  Carlisle,  229, 
230;  Chester,  218;  Dur- 
ham, 243;  Ely,  346;  Exe- 
ter, 98;  Gloucester,  168- 
169;  Hereford,  181,  182; 
Lichfield,  209;  Peterbor- 


ough, 331;  Ripon,  254- 
255;  Rochester,  41,  42- 
43;  Salisbury,  83-84;  St. 
Hugh's,  308;  St.  Paul's, 
410;  St.  Saviour's,  418; 
Wells,  120 ;  Winchester, 
63,  64,  196;  Worcester, 
192-193 ;  York,  269-270, 
272. 

Translation  of  St.  Thomas, 
4,  19;  St.  Swithun,  47. 

Trehearne,  John,  423. 

Tully,  154. 

Valence,  A.  de  (tomb),  433. 
Vaulting    (Norwich),    355- 

356. 

Vicars'   Cloister,   187. 
Vicars'     Close     (Lichfield), 

2OI. 

Vicars'  College,  108,  112. 
Vigil  of  the  Translation,  4. 
Villula,  John  de,  135. 

Wakefield,  Battle  of,  361. 
Walkelyn,  Bishop,  47,  48,  64. 
Walsingham,  Alan,  336,  337, 

338,  342,  345,  405- 
Waller,  Lady   (monument), 

139- 
Wallingford,     William     of, 

365. 
Wallingford     Screen,     370- 

371. 

Walter,  Hubert,  25. 
Walton,  Izaak  (tomb),  64. 
Warelwast,  William,  90,  100. 
Warham,      Archbishop 

(tomb),  27. 

Wars  of  the  Roses,  361. 
Watching  Chamber,   19,  25, 

387. 
Wat  Tyler's  Rebellion,  361, 

362. 

Watts,  Richard,  41. 
Waxhouse  Gate,  366. 
Waxworks       (Westmincter 

Abbey),  436-437- 


INDEX 


459 


Waynflete,  Bishop,  53. 

Well,  Sacred  (Winchester), 
65- 

Well  of  St.  Thomas,  31. 

Wellington,  411,  412. 

Wells,  107-133. 

West  Door: — Durham,  242; 
Lichfield,  206;  Rochester, 
38-39. 

West  End  (Worcester), 
190. 

West  Front :— Bath,  134, 
136;  Bristol,  140;  Canter- 
bury, n;  Chester,  217; 
Chichester,  70 ;  Durham, 
233  ;  Exeter,  92 ;  Ely,  338 ; 
Gloucester,  155-156;  Lich- 
field, 204-205 ;  Lincoln, 
290-291 ;  Norwich,  351  ; 
Peterborough,  324-325 ; 
Ripon,  250,  251 ;  Roches- 
ter, 38;  Southwell,  314; 
St.  Paul's,  401 ;  West- 
minster Abbey,  426 ;  Win- 
chester, 51;  Wells,  113, 
114;  York,  267-268. 

West  Tower  (Ely),  338. 

West  Window :  —  Bristol, 
142;  Canterbury,  13,  14; 
Chichester,  70;  Glouces- 
ter, 162;  Lichfield,  205; 
Lincoln,  293-294 ;  Peter- 
borough, 327;  Rochester, 
40-41;  Wells,  120;  West- 
minster Abbey,  430;  Win- 
chester, 51 ;  York,  275. 

West,  Benjamin,  43,  59. 

Western  Porch  (Manches- 
ter), 222. 

Western  Transept :  —  Lin- 
coln, 303;  Peterborough, 
327- 

Westminster  Abbey,  78,  414, 
425-443. 

Wheathampstead,  John  de, 
365. 

Wheel  of  Fortune,  42. 

Whispering    Gallery  :  — 


Gloucester,   155,   164;   St. 
Paul's,  404,  407,  410. 

White  Church,  234. 

Winchester,  46-65 ;  burials 
in,  63 ;  coronations  in,  49- 
50. 

Winchester  Historical  Asso- 
ciations, 49-50,  58. 

William  the  Conqueror,  235. 

William,  Earl  of  Dudley 
(effigy),  198. 

William,  English,  4,  18,  25, 
36. 

William,  Fitzherbert 
(tomb),  263. 

William  of  Hatfield  (tomb), 
274. 

William  de  Hoo,  36,  43,  44. 

William  of  Malmsbury,  263. 

William  Rufus,  47,  55-56, 
58,  157,  359,  425- 

William  of  Sens,  4,  12,  15, 
18,  25,  36. 

William  of  St.  Carileph,  234. 

William  of  Trumpington, 
363,  364,  367. 

William  of  Wykeham,  48, 
49,  51,  53- 

William  La  Zouche,  265. 

Window  (Decorated)  : — 
Chichester,  68;  Diamond 
Jubilee,  420;  Edward  IV. 
(  Canterbury) ,  5,  26-27 ; 
Edward  VII.,  410;  Flam- 
boyant (Oxford),  300; 
South  (St.  Saviour's), 
421. 

Windows  : — Bath,  136,  137, 
138;  Bristol,  142,  144,  145, 
146,  148;  Canterbury,  n, 
13,  17,  22-23,  24,  25;  Car- 
lisle, 229;  Durham,  243, 
248;  Ely,  340,  346,  347; 
Exeter,  94,  97 ;  Gloucester, 
159;  Hereford,  181,  182, 
186-187;  Lichfield,  209, 
212;  Lincoln,  291,  307; 
Norwalk,  356 ;  Oxford, 


460 


INDEX 


379,    38o ;     Peterborough, 

328,    332;    Rochester,    37, 

38;    Salisbury,   84,   87-88; 

Southwell,  314,  315,  3i6; 

St.    Saviour's,    423,    424; 

Wells,      118,      119,     128; 

Westminster  Abbey,  430; 

Winchester,      58 ;     York, 

276-279. 
Wolsey,   Thomas,   266,  316, 

375,  379,  412. 
Worcester,  188-199. 
Wordsworth,         Bishop 

(tomb),   301. 
Wren,   Bishop,  340. 
Wren,    Sir    C,    69,   78,   85, 


307,  340,  375,  396,  397, 
403,  405-406,  412,  426. 

Wulstan,  153,  188,  189. 

Wyatt,  78,  84,  175,  237,  248. 

Wyvill,  Bishop  (brass),  85- 
86. 

Wych,  Richard  de  la,  68. 

York,  202,  260-283. 
York  and  Lichfield,  202. 
Young,    Sir    John    (tomb), 

147. 
Ythamar,  33. 

Zouch  (tomb).  390. 


UNIVERSITY  OF  CALIFORNIA  LIBRARY, 
BERKELEY 


piration  of  loan  period. 


TCI/683 


266204 


UNIVERSITY  OF  CALIFORNIA  UBRARY 


